Seraphim
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: A dump for various YuanxKratos oneshots written by Meowzy.
1. Dreams

((A/N: Well, you know how that goes. Sometimes, you get hit with a burst of one-shot inspiration. It doesn't happen to me much, since I usually turn every idea into a complete story. But sometimes (mostly for contests) I write a one-shot. This... Is where I will be dumping them.

For now, all the one-shots will be YuanxKratos. There might be LloyxZelos ones later on, but I can't guarantee it. Also, updates won't be regular at all. A Meowzy one-shot is rare, afterall. Oh, right, I don't own Tales of Symphonia, and don't say I didn't warn you about the guyxguy.

Here's the first one-shot. Started off as a question of whether or not the seraphim of Cruxis dream. Ended up like this. Enjoy!))

* * *

Dreams. 

Yuan was sitting on the mossy ground of Fooji mountain, his feet dangling over the edge, staring out at the re-united world. He hadn't slept in millennia. Literally. Not since the day he received that Cruxis crystal. He envied the people who could sleep, and dream. Dreams were a way to escape reality. To leave everything behind, and sink away into a world of your own.

Ofcourse, he didn't miss the nightmares. Nightmares in which your worst fears would come true. Nightmares that made you wake with a start, the cold sweat running down your back. Nightmares that would make you sit up in your bed, trying to assure yourself that it was just a dream, and that everything was going to be okay. Nightmares that made you want to seek out a pair of comforting arms. Someone to tell you that it was just a dream, and that it was over now.

But Yuan had no comforting arms left. Martel, Mithos, Botta and now Kratos. They had all gone. There was nobody left who cared that Yuan was trapped in his own nightmare. A nightmare that had lasted for over four thousand years. It had started after she had died. The nightmare of loneliness. It would probably continue forever. His friends… His loved ones had moved on, and left him behind.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a knife and stared at it blankly. There was but one way to end the nightmare now. Swift and painless. Nobody would miss him if he were to just disappear, afterall. There was nobody left who would care. He had considered this option before, a long time ago. Back then, there was only one thing stopping him. The Renegades. But they were no longer needed now. _He_ was no longer needed now. The worlds were saved. He had no reason left to live.

"Yuan."

Yuan looked up at the familiar voice. It couldn't be, could it? He turned around and stared into the accustomed face of his old friend Kratos. If his Cruxis crystal didn't numb his feelings, he would've probably had the unpleasant feeling of his stomach doing a summersault. But now, he didn't feel anything. His mind, his spirit, was relieved though.

"How? I thought Derris Kharlan left days ago."

He remembered standing on that very same mountain top, about three days ago, watching the giant mass of Mana leaving the planet's orbit. He thought it had taken his last friend with it.

"I couldn't just leave you behind like this."

Kratos sat down next to Yuan, peeling the glittering knife out of his friend's hand and tossing it away carelessly. After all those years, and after everything that had happened, he hadn't changed one bit. The human didn't need words to say that he cared.

"So what now? We're the only ones left. Everyone has died, and I thought I had lost you too."

Yuan noticed Kratos was now eyeing him. As though analyzing, calculating. But he didn't respond. Yuan supposed he wasn't going to. Afterall, what was there to say? Then he suddenly felt a pair of gentle arms wrapping themselves around him.

"It's okay. It's over now."

Yuan smiled faintly, suddenly feeling at ease. After all these years, he'd been found again. Perhaps now, the nightmare would end.

End!

* * *

((A/N: And now... A special extra! I entered a Yuan contest a few months ago, where I had to write a poem. Here's the result. It sucks, I know.))

* * *

Ode to a Renegade leader.

Yuan is so delicious

that every fangirl wishes

she was Martel.

Even though that would not end well.

It would totally be worth it.

Every little bit.

I will tell you a bit about this bishie,

to show that he isn't fishy.

Yuan's hair is shiny and blue.

His first line in the game is "Just who the hell are you?"

Yuan lives in a friggin huge base,

And his fat henchman Vidarr swings a large mace.

His assistant Botta is much cooler.

Almost as cool as his blue-haired ruler.

Yuan wears an awesome black cloak.

And he would certainly never snort coke.

Back in the old days, Yuan was known as a Kharlan hero.

He's obviously no zero.

His friend Kratos is Origin's seal,

so you can imagine how Yuan must feel.

Being forced to assassinate the auburn hunk,

is seriously messing with his emotional funk.

He'd gladly kill Mithos though,

But that's a big no-no.

Mithos is his Cruxis lord,

and if he murdered the kid he'd be chased by a horde

of lifeless angels with bows.

And poor Yuan knows,

those arrows hurt like hell.

So that he hates Yggdrasill, he'll never tell.

Doesn't he sound just divine?

I wish he were mine…

But Yuan has no last name.

And what exactly happened to him at the end of the game?

It's a real shame,

because he deserves a place at the wall of fame!

Which is why I suggest

that you and I and the rest

march over to the studio of Tales,

and ensure that Yuan-sama never fails.

* * *

((A/N: Uhm... Yeah. I'm sorry. Just... forget about the lousy poem and focus on the decent one-shot.)) 


	2. Departures

((A/N: Alrighty, here's my second one-shot. Thanks for everyone who reviewed up to now. I really appreciate it.

This second one was for a YuanxKratos fanfic contest from the YuanxKratos fanclub on the official Tales series forum. Sadly, not many people entered. Like... two. Counting me.  
Anyway, I felt like writing something with a nice twist in the end. So enjoy!

* * *

Departures.

Yuan was slightly astounded by his own nerve. There he stood, in his office, blocking the door for a certain auburn human. Making sure he wouldn't leave. Yuan couldn't let him leave, because… the feeling of missing someone you care about is just too agonising. And he didn't want to be left alone.

"Yuan, what are you doing?" Kratos questioned, frowning lightly.

"I… I won't let you go." Yuan responded, holding out his arms to make sure the human couldn't reach the door. Kratos could probably overpower him easily, but… He had to try.

"Yuan, I have to do this." Kratos spoke, crossing his arms impatiently.

"No! Just send someone else."

Yes, that's right. Someone else could go. Anyone would do. Perhaps even a random Renegade. As long as they knew the right procedure… Then Kratos could stay!

"This is something I can only do myself."

Kratos shook his head softly, causing his messy hair to dance slightly. Yuan wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through them. To hold Kratos close, and play with those wild auburn locks. And to pretend like this whole incident never happened.

"Then why can't I go with you?" Yuan urged desperately, tears filling his eyes. He didn't want to part from his lover. Not yet.

"You have things to do here, don't you?"

"Yes. But…" Yuan looked away, sniffing faintly. "I don't want you to go."

"You're such a child."

Kratos approached the blue-haired man, and wrapped his arms around him. Yuan sighed, returning the embrace, burying his face in Kratos' chest. Clinging desperately to the one he loved. Maybe… if he held on long enough, Kratos wouldn't be able to leave. As long as he held the man close, he couldn't walk out that door. It was a foolish plan though, when he thought about it.

"And I'm completely helpless without you." He added sadly. "So please… Stay."

"I told you, I can't. I have to-"

"Don't you care about me?" Yuan demanded, breaking free from the man's embrace and glaring up at him. "Don't you care about my feelings?"

"Yuan…"

"I love you, dammit! And you said you love me too! Or are those vows just meaningless to you?" he growled, clenching his fists.

"Ofcourse they're not." Kratos sighed tiredly. "And I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

"You will?" Yuan looked up at him with clear emerald eyes.

"Yes. It's just a short flight from here to Triet. I'll get some groceries, and I'll be back before you know it."

"Well… Alright. But don't take too long." Yuan muttered, looking away. He had caved anyway. Once Kratos made up his mind, there was no stopping him.

"I won't." Kratos pulled him closer, and placed a kiss on his forehead, before gently pushing him aside to head for the door.

"Don't forget to buy some extra rice! I'm making sushi today." Yuan called after him.

"I won't forget. See you later, Yuan!" The door closed behind him with a slight hissing sound, leaving Yuan with a hollow feeling in his stomach.

"Bye."

* * *

((-_giggles_- I had you fooled, didn't I? Well, I hope so... That was the whole point. Now be nice leave a review! Doesn't matter if it's good or bad!)) 


	3. Friends

((A/N: Third one-shot! I had this idea in my mind for quite some time. What if Yggy went to destroy the base, while Yuan was evecuating the Renegades? Because you just know that there's nothing stopping him from doing so. Then, one day, I worked the story out in my head, and wrote it. It turned out longer than I expected, but I guess that's a good thing. Enjoy!))

* * *

Friends.

As fast as my wings could carry me, I flew to Triet base. Yggdrasill had found out about the Renegades… About Yuan.

'That moron.' I thought furiously. 'He didn't actually think he could have gotten away with this anyway?'

Yuan had betrayed me. Tried to kill me, and my son. But still… I felt a need to see if he was alright. The second I had woken up, I went to see Yggdrasill. But our leader was gone. If he'd gone to get revenge…

Finally, I touched down in front of Triet's base. The door had been blasted open. Cursing softly, I entered and ran down the hallways. Where was his office again? I'd seen it when we saved Lloyd, but that seemed like such a long time ago…

Reaching the main hall, I heard a piercing scream. Yuan! I was too late. Following the source of the disturbance, I crossed the hall and continued forward. I swiftly strode through the hallway, sweat rolling down my back as the sound of Yggdrasill cursing in elven language reached my ears.

Finally, I made it to Yuan's office, where a horrifying sight met my eyes. The Renegade leader was lying on the floor, covered in various cuts and injuries, as Yggdrasill loomed over him.

"Killing you may go against my sister's wishes, but trust me, there are things worse than death." The blonde hissed, pulling Yuan up by his hair.

"Lord Yggdrasill, stop!" I called, stepping forward.

"Ah, Kratos. Have you come to get revenge on the traitor as well?" Yggdrasill questioned. It was almost as if he was testing my loyalty…

"Lord Yggdrasill, please. The time of lady Martel's awakening draws near. If she finds out… She will not approve." I spoke, bowing lightly.

"Yes. But she will not be very pleased when she finds out what her darling fiancée has been doing either." Yggdrasill argued, dropping Yuan to the ground again and staring at him with extreme dislike.

"We should not lower ourselves to his level. Lady Martel will pass the final judgment." I tried not to be intimidated by the pool of blood that was slowly forming around my old friend. "I humbly suggest that you return to the tower of Salvation, and keep watch over the preparations."

"Very well." Yggdrasill nodded, and turned away. "But keep in mind that Lady Martel will pass judgment on you too, Kratos. Do not make the same mistake you made fifteen years ago."

And with that, the great leader of Cruxis disappeared, leaving me alone with Yuan. I waited for a moment to make sure the coast was clear, and kneeled down next to him. He was severely hurt, but still breathing.

"You moron." I whispered gently, rolling him onto his back and placing my hands on his chest. Tapping into my magic abilities, I began healing him. Though as much as I tried, his wounds would not be fully mended. True healing is a skill only few have.

After a few minutes, Yuan's emerald eyes slowly opened. They immediately filled with fear.

"Easy." I spoke shortly, trying to continue the spell.

"Get off." Yuan hissed, pushing me away as he sat up. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face, but he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

"That's not a kind way to repay someone who is trying to help you." I crossed my arms impatiently.

"Why did you come here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I had to see if you were alright." I replied simply.

"After everything I did today?" He tilted his head to the side lightly, a lock of hair falling across his face.

"Yes. Even though you were an arrogant jerk, I understand your motives." I smiled faintly.

A grin spread on Yuan's face for the first time in years, and a moment later, he was actually laughing. I hadn't heard him do that in ages. The laugh soon turned into a groan, however, as he clutched his side with a pained expression.

"Damn… Yggdrasill." He grunted.

"You should get some rest." I said, getting to my feet. "Your base has a bedroom, right?"

"Right behind that door." He replied, pointing to a door in the back of the room. He tried to stand up, but fell to his knees again with a moan.

Sighing lightly, I leaned forward and pulled his arm around my shoulder to support him. He bore an annoyed expression, but said nothing. I led him to the bedroom door, which opened after he entered a short password.

"Cosy." I commented, quickly taking in every aspect of the room. Had he honestly built all this himself?

I gently sat Yuan down on the nearest bed, and reached for the fastening of his cloak. He quickly swatted my hand away.

"I am not a child who needs help to get undressed." He snapped, glaring up at me.

"No, you're a wounded friend who needs help to get undressed." I replied, matching his glare.

"Tch." He started to take off his clothes himself, but didn't seem bothered by the fact that I was still standing there. He hadn't told me to leave, so I wasn't going to. Not until I made sure he was safe.

"What happened to your Renegades?" I asked suddenly, reminded that the base was empty.

"I managed to evacuate them right before Yggdrasill came." Yuan dropped his chest armour to the floor, and started unstrapping his shin guards.

"You risked your own life to save theirs." I concluded.

"Is that not the responsibility of a leader?" he enquired, glancing up at me.

"I suppose." My eyes started to stray around the room again, and came to rest on some wineglasses.

I turned back when I heard a rustling sound, and saw Yuan taking off his shirt. His abdomen was covered in fresh bruises, where Yggdrasill had kicked him. But that wasn't what caught my eye. Running horizontally below his ribs was a long, thin scar.

"Is that where…" I began.

"Hm?" Yuan looked down to see what I was staring at. "Oh. Yeah. Last time I try a surprise attack." He grinned painfully at the memory of what happened at Hima.

I tried to think of something to say, but came up empty. I couldn't apologise for what I'd done, because it had been pure self-defence. The only one to blame was Yuan himself, for being so foolish. Things would never be the same between us, would they?

Finally, Yuan had removed his pants, and crawled under the blankets. He closed his eyes wearily. I felt at ease, knowing that Yggdrasill would probably leave him be for now. After casting one last glance at my friend, I headed for the door.

"Wait."

I turned back to see Yuan staring at me. His eyes seemed to shimmer with some sort of emotion. Was it fear? Or loneliness perhaps?

"Please… Stay." He muttered. "I don't want to be alone."

I cast another glance at the door, weighing my options. I was planning on going to Flanoir this night, to check up on Lloyd. But I couldn't just leave Yuan like this.

Letting out a sigh, I stepped towards the empty bed besides him, and sat down, removing my cloak. After everything he'd done, I still cared for him. And though we'd soon have to part ways, I could be there for him a bit longer. That's what… friends were for.

* * *

((Awww... And the next morning, we see Yuan, perfectly fine, at the secret entrance to the tower of Salvation. Just... don't ask.)) 


	4. SEX

((A/N: Fourth one-shot! Thanks for the reviews so far. -_hugs you all_-

This one... This one was born after I delved deeply into the question; 'When the guys are over 4000 years old, wouldn't they have certain... needs?' I mean, what's the deal with Mithos and his mana lineage anyway, right? So, naturally, I managed a nice YxK story about it. Not the mana lineage, but... You know... The question. And finally, the first one-shot with implied lemon. If you don't like the thought of two guys hopping into the same bed, don't read! I hope you'll enjoy!))

* * *

S.E.X.

Kratos strode through the Meltokio slums, dragging a certain red-haired chosen along by his ear and cursing loudly. Every time Zelos Wilder got himself into trouble, it was up to Kratos to get him out of it. Martel forbid _anything_ should happen to the Mana lineage.

"I told you a thousand times, and now I'll tell you again. Stay away from those hookers." Kratos ranted, still yanking Zelos' ear.

"Ow! They weren't hookers!" Zelos argued. "They were scantily clad women who desperately need my charity."

"And they give you quite a lot in return, don't they?" Kratos snarled, reaching the exit of the slums and giving the chosen a good shove. "Now go home."

"Are you staying behind to get laid, old man?" Zelos asked, turning back with a wide grin.

"Home. Now." Kratos whacked the boy on the back of his head, and pointed to the road ahead. Ofcourse, the reason he stayed behind was to find a deserted alleyway so he could teleport back to Derris-Kharlan.

"Fine. Fine. But if you'd get yourself a woman, you wouldn't be so grumpy." Zelos remarked, before running off to avoid getting hit again.

Kratos sighed and turned back to stare at the slums. This entire place was filled with crack houses and whores. He couldn't help but wonder why would anyone want to go here. The place must've been crawling with STD's.

His eyes straying down the road, he suddenly saw a familiar head of light-blue hair. A familiar black cloak. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed the man further into the slums.

'Why is he here? He couldn't be…' Kratos thought to himself. No, there was no way.

Eventually, Yuan stopped in his tracks. Kratos did the same, making sure to keep his distance. He watched the man run a hand through his blue hair tiredly, glancing around. A few women noticed him and waved, but he didn't seem to respond in any way. After a few moments of silence, he turned again, walking away. Kratos decided to come out of hiding.

"Yuan!" he called, causing the man to look up sharply.

Kratos was quite amused by the way Yuan managed to turn from pale, to slightly green, to blushing faintly in a matter of seconds.

"Kratos, why are you here?" He asked airily. Though he couldn't hide the way he was twitching nervously.

"I had to come get the chosen one. Again." Kratos replied, managing a slight smile.

"I see…" Yuan crossed his arms, looking away.

"And what brings you here?" the human enquired, watching Yuan blush again.

"None of your business." He said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"There's no shame in finding a woman here. I mean… when you're immortal, it's hard to settle down." Kratos smiled again.

"No! I mean… I…" Yuan started to stutter.

"What?" Kratos blinked, never having seen Yuan acting so… nervous.

"It's an embarrassing problem. I don't want to bother you with it." The half-elf turned his head to see a woman beckoning them over. He responded with a rude hand gesture.

"Yuan, if there's something bothering you, maybe I can help." Kratos spoke, crossing his arms.

"I… I mean… I haven't…" Yuan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "After Martel died, I haven't… done the deed anymore."

Kratos' eyes widened slightly, both in shock and awe. "You mean, in four-thousand years, you haven't… slept with a woman?"

Yuan shuffled his feet nervously, staring at the ground.

"That's… I didn't think that was possible." Kratos scratched the back of his head, trying to find something to say that wasn't inappropriate. Though he had to admire Yuan's self-control.

"Half-elves have more endurance." Yuan said simply.

"Yes, but still. I mean, I think that by now even Mithos has… grown up in that aspect." Kratos remembered the time a few thousand years ago, when he'd introduced their leader to a young half-elf girl from Sybak. Yggdrasill had lost his virginity in no time.

"I guess that's one of the curses of this crystal, hm?" Yuan ran a hand across his Cruxis crystal, smiling sadly.

"Haven't you ever considered… I mean…" Kratos broke off, wondering what would be the best way to word his thoughts. "You're here _now_, aren't you?"

"Yes. Just like several times before. But…" Yuan glanced around again, taking in his surroundings. "I seem to have lost all taste for women."

"What?" Kratos blinked again.

"They just… don't appeal to me. At some point, I manage to drag myself all the way over here, but when I see these women… I don't feel like it anymore." Yuan sighed, shaking his head softly.

"I see…" Kratos ran a hand through his hair. He'd been having the same problem for a few years now. Women seemed to have changed through the course of the years. One might almost say they didn't make them the way they used to. Unless… it wasn't the women who had changed.

"I guess I'm just cursed to wallow in my own self-pity." Yuan turned to walk away, but Kratos quickly grabbed his arm.

"Follow me." The human said shortly, dragging his companion deeper into the slums.

Yuan blinked, wondering what was going on. Something told him Kratos was going to help him. Not that there was any way to help. He was probably off women forever.

Eventually, they reached a small shack. Kratos let go of Yuan's arm and had a quick discussion with the man standing next to the door. Yuan glanced around nervously. This place was giving him the creeps. Finally, the man nodded and Kratos handed him some money.

"Let's go." The swordsman said, holding the door open so Yuan could enter.

The seraph nodded, not saying a word as he passed Kratos. It didn't take long to take in the entire shack. It was basically like a small, musty, two person bedroom. Kratos stepped inside too, locking the door behind him.

"What do you expect me to do here?" Yuan asked, tilting his head.

Kratos groaned lightly, rubbing his forehead. Okay, four-thousand years was a long time, but apparently it addled the brain too.

Deciding there wasn't anything else for it, he stepped forward and placed his hands on Yuan's shoulders. Before the half-elf could open his mouth to ask another stupid question, Kratos roughly shoved him up against the wall and pushed his lips against his companion's.

Yuan stood shocked for a few seconds, before raising a fist. Kratos caught it without looking up, leading it to his own waist and holding it there. Yuan tried again with his other hand, but that too was caught and pushed against the wall.

"Stop struggling, moron. I'm trying to help you." Kratos growled, finally breaking the kiss.

"But…" Yuan stared up at him, dumbstruck.

"Stop thinking logically. Just let yourself go." Kratos leaned forward, kissing the half-elf's neck.

Yuan moaned softly, finally relaxing. Kratos released the man's wrists again, his hands moving to undo Yuan's cloak. It was soon dropped to the ground, as Yuan wrapped his arms around Kratos' body, wondering faintly if he was being raped or not.

Kratos pulled his companion away from the wall, and shoved him down onto the bed. Yuan blushed, moving backwards, towards the headboard.

"Sit still." Kratos hissed, placing himself on Yuan's lap as he took off his cloak.

"Are you sure-" the timid half-elf began, but he was cut off.

"This is for your own good." Kratos threw his cloak across the room, leaning forward to take off Yuan's armour. It was soon followed by two pairs of shoes, shirts, pants, and finally underwear. Now they couldn't turn back, even if they wanted to.

* * *

((A/N: Let your own imagination run free! Weeeeeh!))

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were both lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling and panting deeply. 

"That was…" Kratos began, blinking again.

"Wow." Yuan finished, still in a state of shock.

A long silence followed.

"So, I guess you can hold on for another four-thousand years now, huh?" Kratos smiled faintly at the ceiling.

"I… don't think I want to wait another eternity…" Yuan rolled onto his side to face his lover.

"Same time next week?" Kratos asked, also shifting under the blankets to glance at Yuan.

"Hell yes!" the half-elf exclaimed loudly.

Kratos chuckled, wrapping an arm around Yuan and pulling him closer. He wasn't sure if what ran between them was love or not, but it didn't matter. It was a bond stronger than anything in the world.


	5. Wounds

((A/N: The fifth one-shot already? Wow... Didn't think I'd get that far.

This one is based on another 'What if-' question. Kinda like the third one-shot about Yggy at the Renegade base. Only this time, the question is... 'What if Kratos managed to wound Yuan properly at Hima?'  
The fic looked better when I planned it out,but it's oneof the first one-shots I ever thought up. So there have been many versions by now. I decided to write this one. Hmmm... It's more Yuan _and_ Kratos than YuanxKratos, now that I think about it. Ohwell.))

* * *

Wounds.

Kratos stood outside Hima's inn, speaking softly with Noishe. Today was the day. The chosen would finish the journey of world regeneration. This time, just maybe, the Mana signature would be a match. Colette Brunel would cease to exist, and Martel would be reborn.

"I need you to take care of Lloyd for me a bit longer." The swordsman said.

If he was lucky, the chosen would finish her prayers without the boy interfering. If Lloyd did stick his nose into their business, which he undoubtedly would, Kratos would have no choice but to kill him. Just like he had no choice fifteen years ago, when Anna's exsphere was removed. He probably couldn't bear to lose his son again. But Yggdrasill's orders were absolute.

Noishe whined softly. It was almost like he understood the entire situation. Like he knew what was coming.

Kratos heard footsteps behind him and froze. Somebody had exited the inn. He kept his gaze ahead, pretending not to notice. But that's where it all went wrong.

"Kratos, look out!" Lloyd shouted suddenly.

Kratos spotted a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye and instantly drew his sword. Instinctively, he slashed at his attacker in the fraction of a second. Blood rained onto the mossy ground.

"Ugh!" The man fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen. His emerald eyes narrowed in pain. Kratos' sword had gone straight through a weak spot of his armour, creating a deep gash.

"Yuan!" Kratos dropped his weapon in shock. It fell to the ground with a clatter.

Yuan looked up at him with a blank expression. Then he raised a hand to his mouth and coughed. Blood seeped down his lips.

"Ah, shit." He said, before closing his eyes and falling forward.

Kratos kneeled down next to him, completely at loss for words. What was Yuan doing here? Why had he appeared so suddenly? Could this mess have been avoided?

Lloyd approached the two, shaking slightly from shock. Kratos, the always emotionless mercenary, seemed to be breaking down… And there was so much blood… What just happened?

Kratos extended a shaky hand to Yuan's face, brushing a lock of hair aside. The man was still breathing. Which meant there was still hope. Kratos suddenly looked up again, a determined expression on his face.

"Lloyd, go wake Raine." He ordered.

"But-" Lloyd glanced down at Yuan's body with wide eyes. That man… He looked familiar.

"_Now_, Lloyd!" Kratos shouted, snapping the boy out of his state of shock.

Lloyd immediately ran towards the inn again, as Kratos picked Yuan up from the ground. He was sure why his friend was here, but he was going to get to the bottom of this. He wouldn't let him die.

Grunting softly under the immense weight, Kratos carried Yuan all the way to the inn. Blood continued to spill, dripping onto the ground with a soft tapping sound. Just as he entered the hallway, Sophia came running down the stairs.

"What happened?" she gasped, freezing in her tracks as she saw the half-elf's lifeless body.

"Do you have a spare room?" Kratos asked immediately, ignoring her question.

"Ah, yes." The girl quickly unlocked a nearby door on the first floor, allowing him to enter.

Kratos quickly strode across the room, dropping his old friend on the nearest bed. His condition looked very grave. Yuan's breathing came in small shocks, causing his entire body to jerk softly.

"Kratos, why-" Raine entered the room, freezing in a way similar to Sophia when she noticed Yuan. "What happened?" she exclaimed, rushing over to them.

"Can you heal him?" Kratos demanded swiftly.

"I… I don't know." Raine stuttered, sitting down in a chair next to the bed and leaning forward to inspect the damage.

Ofcourse, peace and quiet was hard to come by. Soon, Lloyd, Sheena, Genis and Colette had burst into the room too, all standing on tiptoe to get a closer look.

"Who is that guy?"

"Look at all the blood…"

"Did Kratos do that?"

"Lloyd, Genis, Colette! Out!" Raine roared, pointing to the door.

"But professor!" Lloyd and Genis argued loudly. Colette, ofcourse, couldn't argue anymore. Her voice had been lost.

"Out!" Raine shouted again.

The three sighed, and marched out the door. Sheena turned to follow.

"Not so fast." Raine called. "Sheena, go upstairs and get my first aid kit."

"Right!" Sheena nodded anxiously and ran out the door.

"Sophia, get me a bucket of clean water." The professor continued, turning to the girl who was still standing in the room, leaning against a wall to recover from the shock.

"A-alright." She stuttered, heading into the hallway. Lloyd, Genis and Colette tried to peek into the room again, but Sophia closed the door.

"It looks like he'll need stitches." Raine informed Kratos, who nodded curtly.

Sheena returned a few seconds later, obviously having sprinted with incredible speed.

"I got the kit." She gasped, holding it out.

"Good." Raine accepted it and snapped it open. "Sheena, I'm going to need your help with this. So listen closely while I explain the procedure to you. Kratos, start undoing his armour."

Kratos gave another nod as Sheena stepped closer to Raine, now being forced to act as some sort of nurse. Things were going to get messy.

* * *

It wasn't until two hours later that Raine and Sheena left the room, slightly covered in dried blood. Lloyd, Genis and Colette, who had been sitting on the stairs, looked up eagerly. They had seen Sophia run in and out of the room several times, carrying bandages or soaked cloths. Sheena, who looked extremely pale, quickly walked out the door for some fresh air. 

"Well?" Lloyd asked.

"I'd say the operation was a success. He is still unconscious, but Kratos insists watching over him." Raine replied, wiping her hands on a cloth.

"So, what now?" Genis ran a hand through his hair.

"We wait." Raine said simply.

"What? But we were supposed to go to the tower of Salvation today!" Lloyd shouted, and Colette nodded eagerly.

"That Dragon Tour guy is probably already wondering why we're late." Genis added.

"I doubt we're going anywhere now. I should go apologize for making him wait in vain." Raine sighed, walking out the door.

"Ah, great. All this for a guy we know nothing about." Genis grunted, shaking his head helplessly.

"I still say he looks familiar." Lloyd said, raking his memory, hoping to find clues.

* * *

Kratos had taken residence in a chair next to the bed, observing Yuan closely. All he could do now was wait. After a few hours, his patience was rewarded, as a pair of emerald eyes slowly fluttered open. 

Yuan tried to sit up, but immediately fell backwards again with a startled cry, clutching at his injury. His gaze darted across the room and came to rest on Kratos.

"W-what happened?" he asked, slightly confused.

"You don't remember?" Kratos questioned.

"I…" Yuan stared blankly at the ceiling. "… No."

Kratos sighed heavily. Did Yuan really suffer from memory loss due to the shock? Or was he just acting, to hide his true intentions? Right now, it was best to just play along.

"You suddenly appeared here in Hima this morning. I injured you in reflex, thinking you were an assailant." He explained.

Yuan ran a hand across his abdomen, apparently in deep thought. "Hima…" he repeated slowly. "Then…"

"We were going to finish the journey of Regeneration today." Kratos said, confirming his suspicions.

They both looked up when they heard a soft scraping sound, and saw three pairs of eyes peeking curiously through a crack in the door. Kratos glared in their direction and they quickly disappeared again.

"The chosen and her friends are too curious for their own good." The human sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You're letting her friends travel with you?" Yuan asked, smiling faintly as he tried to push himself in a comfortable sitting position. "You've grown soft."

"They're also stubborn as hell. They wouldn't leave me alone until I did." Kratos returned the small grin. "Atleast they've proven useful in a few battles."

"I see… What are you planning to do when you reach the tower of Salvation?" Yuan knew that this would pose a problem for Kratos. The chosen's friends would interfere. Try to save her, leaving the auburn seraph with no choice but to battle them.

"I'll try to finish the regeneration cycle before they appear." Kratos said, looking away.

"You won't get out of killing them. They'll probably find out the truth."

Kratos sighed, still not meeting Yuan's eyes. He was right. Lloyd and his friends already knew too much. They should've been disposed of a long time ago. But he couldn't stand the thought of losing his son again.

"Well, now that we've made sure you're okay, we can head for the Tower of Salvation." Kratos got to his feet, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"You're leaving me behind like this?" Yuan asked, his eyes widening.

"Just stay here and rest. I'll check up on you once I've finished… my mission." Kratos smiled sadly, running a hand through Yuan's hair. "Perhaps your memory will have returned by then."

"Ah… Perhaps." Yuan blinked slowly.

Without saying another word, Kratos walked out the door and closed it behind him. Yuan could faintly hear a click. He'd been locked in. Voices from the hallway alerted him that Kratos and the chosen were leaving, followed by her friends. They were headed for the Tower of Salvation.

Not wasting any time, Yuan took a small communication device out of his pocket and flicked it open.

"Botta, I've failed. Round up a few Renegades and head for the Tower of Salvation." He spoke shortly. Then he snapped the communicator shut again, cursing under his breath. What a mess…

Gulping down a spare Orange gel for extra strength, Yuan managed to push himself off the bed, groaning softly. Placing one hand on the furniture to keep himself upright, he staggered over to the window.

"I'm sorry, Kratos." He whispered, pushing it open. Making sure the coast outside was clear, he clambered over the windowsill, unfolding his bright lavender wings. Without looking back, he disappeared into the cold afternoon air.

* * *

((Hmm... Yeah, not much of a decent ending at all, is it? On the plus side, I managed to keep Lloyd's idioticness intact.)) 


	6. The Handyhuman

((A/N: 1 review for the previous one-shot? -_starts laughing_- Okay, I know it wasn't one of my best, but... 1 review? XD

Anyway, time for a cute fluff one-shot. It's pretty OOC, has strange humor, and downright makes no sense. I had lots of fun writing it though. Kratos' P.O.V. again... I should write a one-shot from Yuan's P.O.V. some day. Hmm...))

* * *

The Handyhuman.

Yawning slightly, I stepped into one of the Tower of Salvation's elevators. All the teleporters were down, so I was forced to go all the way to the top of the tower to examine the control systems. Damn magi-technology could never be accounted for. Once every hundred years, it was bound to break down. Then they'd send me to repair it. It earned me quite a 'humorous' nickname as well. Kratos the handyhuman.

"Hold the door!"

I blinked and looked up, my hand already retreating from the control panel. Yuan came running towards me, diving into the elevator just before it closed. Stepping back, I watched him hit the floor face-first.

"Whoah…"

"Dammit! I told you to hold the door!" Yuan shouted angrily, pushing himself to his feet again.

"Why are you here?" I asked, staring at him.

"Yggdrasill told me to assist you in repairing the control systems. So here I am." Yuan huffed, dusting himself off.

"Why does he think I need your assistance?" I questioned.

"Because last time it took you ages to fix the problem." He replied, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.

"It wasn't my fault. Those damn Renegades hacked the system, causing a global crash." I shuddered at the memory of repairing that mess.

"Well, whatever. You should be glad I'm gonna help you out." Yuan ran a casual hand through his hair.

"Hmm…"

Did Yuan even know anything about magi-technology? Well, probably more than me. That's for sure.

"What's that sound?" he asked suddenly. We were finally nearing the top of the tower. It shouldn't have been too long now.

"Huh?" I glanced around. "I don't hear anything."

"There it is again! Listen."

I strained my ears, trying to hear anything out of the ordinary. The elevator was making some sort of odd whizzing sound. Then, there was a snap and we both fell to the ground with a scream.

"What the hell?" Yuan exclaimed, pushing himself up as the lights flickered for a few seconds.

"The elevator stopped." I got to my feet and jabbed the buttons. Nothing happened.

"Well… Make it work again!" he commanded. If only it were that easy…

"How do you expect me to do that?" I asked, turning back to him with a frown.

"Well, I don't know. _You're_ the handyhuman, aren't you?" Yuan also pushed himself to his feet again, staring at me expectantly.

"There's nothing I can do. The elevator has either crashed, or it's out of power. We'll have to wait for someone to come find us." I shrugged.

"Aaaargh!"

* * *

"Open, damn you! Open!" 

I was quite amused for a while, watching Yuan kick the doors. I'd taken a seat against the back wall, waiting patiently. The half-elf, however, wasn't very keen on waiting. So far, he'd used every curse word imaginable, in both human and elven language. In the span of only thirty minutes.

"Yuan, stop kicking the door." I said calmly.

"No!" he continued trying to ram his foot through the metal, causing the elevator to shake.

"If you don't stop you'll cause the elevator to-" I was suddenly cut off as a nasty screeching sound filled the air. The lights flickered before everything turned dark and I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. The elevator was falling!

I let out a soft grunt as Yuan fell backwards, landing on my lap. I slung my arms around him in reflex, pulling him closer. About five seconds later, the screeching sound stopped. The elevator had gotten stuck again. The lights didn't return though.

"-Drop." I finished, slightly out of breath from shock.

Yuan's chest was rising and dropping swiftly. A strange wheezing sound reached my ears. He was… hyperventilating?

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, trying to squint through the darkness.

"Heh… Funny story." He began nervously. "It seems I'm a tad bit claustrophobic."

"Really? You've never shown signs of that before." I frowned lightly.

"Apparently it doesn't show itself until I'm stuck in a dark, broken down elevator with _you_." Yuan fidgeted in my grasp.

"Then… Wouldn't it be regular fear of dying?" I concluded.

"Whatever." Yuan twitched again, his breathing starting to slow down. "Okay, I know you're called the handyhuman, but could you move those hands elsewhere?"

I blinked, suddenly painfully aware of the fact that my hands were placed on Yuan's hips. I quickly pulled them back again, mumbling a hurried apology. Still, Yuan decided not to get off my lap just yet.

Hmm… This was kinda nice. I breathed deeply, noticing that Yuan used some sort of extremely fruity shampoo. It smelled like one of those tutti-frutti icecreams kids in Meltokio would eat.

Yuan leaned back, placing the back of his head on my shoulder. I froze for a second, wondering what he was up to.

"How often do they check the elevators anyway?" he asked softly.

"Uhhh…" I glanced blankly ahead, trying to think of an answer. The lifeless angels normally never used the elevators. Which meant that we would have to wait for Yggdrasill or Pronyma to come looking for us. "Pretty often, I'm sure."

"You're lying." Yuan remarked.

"Ah, yeah." I admitted.

"What if we die from hunger?" he continued.

"I'd let you eat me to save yourself." I said earnestly.

"Ewww… I don't want to eat a _human_! Especially not _you_." Yuan shuddered at the thought.

"You hate me so much you wouldn't even eat me to save yourself?" I was slightly hurt.

"No, stupid. Eating you would require killing you. I couldn't get myself to do that."

"Oh…" I grinned, wrapping my arms around him again. "You _do_ love me! And here I was, thinking you hate my guts." I chuckled, squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Quit it. You're choking me." Yuan gasped. "Let go!"

"No, I don't think I will." I smirked, tightening the grasp. For some reason, I didn't _want_ to let go anymore.

"Kratos! Please…"

I gasped in shock, immediately pulling my hands back again. I hadn't heard Yuan call me by name in… centuries! It was always either 'stupid human' or 'dirty bastard' or 'hey you'.

"Phew…" Yuan crawled out of my lap, turning to face me. Too bad I couldn't make out his expression. "I'll _kill_ you!" he suddenly snarled, wrapping his hands around my throat.

"Whoah!" I immediately tried to push him off again. "I was kidding! Yuan! Stop- Wah!"

We both stumbled and fell as the elevator shook again, dropping several more feet. In our new placement, I found myself suddenly lying on top of the half-elf. Even though it was dark, I knew he was blushing.

"Ah…" he shifted awkwardly underneath me.

"Heh." I leaned down even more, pressing my body onto his, just to tease him.

"You know, there's one thing I always wanted to do before I die." He said slowly.

"Oh really? What's that?"

Yuan moved his right hand to grasp my hair, pulling it firmly. I hissed in pain, my head being forced down. Then, suddenly, I felt my lips meeting with Yuan's. Huh… Interesting.

A strange feeling tugging at my stomach, I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss. Even after Yuan let go of my hair again, I didn't break away. It felt too… right. I heard him moan deeply. Apparently, he wasn't complaining either.

We were interrupted rudely, when the elevator started to whirr loudly. I pushed myself up, trying to glance through the darkness.

"Oh gods, we _are_ gonna die!" Yuan shrieked, clinging to my shirt.

Then, the lights suddenly flickered on and the elevator started to move again. Though instead of falling, it was moving up. We were saved?

After a small silence, the elevator halted again. The doors slid open to show Pronyma, wearing a slight frown.

"Ah…" Yuan tilted his head to stare at her.

"This isn't what it looks like." I moved off Yuan again, trying to stop myself from blushing.

"Lord Kratos, I'd appreciate it if you didn't murder lord Yuan just yet." Pronyma said, completely misreading the scene.

"Uhm… Right." I got to my feet again, sighing inwardly. Martel bless the ignorant.

"Be thankful I managed to fix the elevator." Pronyma huffed. "While I was at it, I repaired the mainframe too. Someone had spilled coffee all over the main computer. The teleporters are functional now."

"Nice work, lady Pronyma. But we'll just take the elevator down again." I grinned, my hand moving over to the control panel. Just as Pronyma opened her mouth to retort, the doors slid shut in her face.

"Now, where were we…" I purred, sitting down next to Yuan.

"I think you were about to put those handy hands to good use." Yuan replied with a smirk.

Pronyma later earned the nickname 'repair hag', as she was forced to always fix the control systems every time they broke down from that moment on.


	7. Idiot Seraphim Parody One

((A/N: To everyone who reviewed the previous one-shot; Thank yoooou! Wow, number seven already... Didn't think I'd get here so soon.

This one... This one is a special surprise for everyone who has read the Idiot Seraphim series. Or... Well... Idiot Renegade atleast. This one-shot is set after Idiot Renegade, but before Idiot Seraphim 1. Pretty logical, once you start reading.  
If you've never read any of the Idiot fics, that's okay. Even though you won't get the references, you'll still enjoy it. Just keep in mind that the Idiot fics are HORRIBLY Out Of Character. ... Or maybe they're just horribly OOC because I exaggerate their personalities, ya know. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Enjoy!))

* * *

Idiot Seraphim Parody One.

It had been two weeks since the worlds had been reunited. Two weeks since construction on Vinheim the second had started. Two weeks since Yuan and Kratos had proclaimed their love for each other. Though, so far, not much had happened. Cute glances and a few hugs had been exchanged, but apart from that… Nothing. Mithos continuously tired the two out, forcing them to help build a completely new castle. Dragging heavy bricks along didn't leave much time for affection.

The workday ended just like any other. Both men left the Tower of Salvation, letting out tired grunts.

"Well, I guess I'll go home now." Kratos said softly, turning to leave.

"Ah…" Yuan looked up, having a sudden idea. "Is your house still such a mess?"

He shuddered mentally at the memory of Kratos' place. It was cleaned up once, but Kratos had thrashed it all in the span of one week.

"Mess? I resent that!" Kratos exclaimed.

"Cause… I was thinking… You could stay at my place if you wanna." Yuan continued, looking away with a slight blush.

"Yes! It's messy alright! Messy messy messy! Haven't cleaned up in months!" Kratos said immediately.

"Heheh. Follow me." Yuan summoned his extremely girly wings, flying off. Kratos eagerly chased after him.

* * *

A short while later, they arrived at the Triet base. It was completely empty. Yuan led Kratos to his office, not saying a word. 

"Heh, remember last time I was here?" Kratos asked suddenly, smiling faintly at the memory.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had no choice." Yuan chuckled nervously, also remembering the tranquilizer dart incident.

"That's okay. It was the best sleep I had in years." Kratos grinned.

The two entered the dark office. The second Yuan stepped over the threshold, the lights automatically flicked on.

"That's amazing!" Kratos gasped.

"It cost quite a bit too." Yuan spoke through clenched teeth.

Kratos wondered faintly how Yuan got money to pay for all this Renegade stuff. He decided not to pursue it. There were more important matters at hand.

"Where do I… _sleep_?" he asked, trying to make it sound extremely implying. Last time, Yuan didn't get his hints either.

"The bedroom is over here." The half-elf said simply, opening a door in the back of the room.

As they entered the bedroom, one thing immediately caught Kratos' eye.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing a teddy bear that bore a striking resemblance to him. It was sitting on Yuan's nightstand.

"Ah… That's my Kratty." Yuan blushed deeply.

Kratos reached into his pocket, also pulling out a teddybear. This one bore a striking resemblance to Yuan. How a teddybear fit in Kratos' pocket would forever be one of the Idiot Seraphim mysteries.

"This is my Yuie. See?" Kratos put his own teddybear next to Yuan's. "Awww… They look so cute together."

"Too true." Yuan smiled at the teddybears, before looking up to glance at Kratos. He blushed again.

"Are you hot?" Kratos asked.

"W-what?" Yuan stuttered.

"Are you hot? You're all red in the face."

"Ah…"

"Maybe you should take off those clothes." Kratos grinned, reaching out to take off Yuan's cloak.

* * *

"So, _why_ exactly can't Yuan come to work today?" Mithos asked the next morning. 

"Due to a terrifying and horrific accident, he's lost the ability to walk for a day or two." Kratos said simply.

"But… How?" Mithos raised an eyebrow.

"He uh… dropped something heavy on his foot." Kratos lied.

"Well, okay. But you do realise you're going to have to work twice as hard until he comes back, right?" Mithos jerked his head to the large pile of bricks.

"Right." Kratos replied, walking off to get to work. Today would be twice as annoying as usual, but it had been worth it.

Meanwhile, at the Triet base, Yuan lay in bed, fast asleep and hugging both teddybears. One night with Kratos was more exhausting than two weeks of construction working.

* * *

((A/N: Well? Did you like? I might write more of these Idiot Seraphim parodies later. And if you want some Mithos/Genis or Zelos/Lloyd in there, just say the word.)) 


	8. Race

((A/N: One-shot number eight! Yaaay!

This one is... Pretty disappointing, actually. I thought up this whole conversation, but by the time I actually got started with this one-shot, I'd forgotten what it was about. So now it's pretty short... Eheheh...  
Still, I hope you'll enjoy.))

* * *

Race.

"Does it bother you?"

"What?" Kratos looked up from the book he was reading to glance at me with a curious expression.

"That I'm a half-elf. Does it bother you?" I asked again.

Kratos snapped the book shut with a sigh. "Where is this coming from?"

"Half-elves are neither human nor elf. They're not accepted in society." I said softly, leaning back in my chair to stare at the ceiling.

"So? Just because some people might have a problem with it, doesn't mean I do." Kratos said, sounding slightly surprised.

"I know that. It's just…" I paused, breathing a sigh as I formulated the words in my head. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"Ofcourse not!" Kratos practically shouted. He sounded angry.

"But… Half-elves are shunned without hesitation. If you're seen with one, you might be shunned too. I don't want to ruin your reputation." I spoke slowly, remembering all the times people had given us strange looks.

"I don't care about my reputation." Kratos got up from his chair and moved to sit down in my lap, wrapping his arms around me. He always liked to do that.

"I just don't want you to get hurt because of me." I whispered, running a hand through his soft hair.

"I'm a grown man, Yuan. I can take care of myself." Kratos chuckled, leaning his forehead against my shoulder.

"Hmm…" was my only response, as I absentmindedly continued to stroke his hair.

From what I gathered, Kratos knew the risks of being with me. He knew there was a chance people would not accept it. Yet, he still remained by my side.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you?" I asked again.

Kratos straightened up again, staring deeply into my eyes. "I'm sure."

Before I could protest any more, he cut me off with a deep kiss. I moaned passionately, leaning back as his tongue roamed my mouth. It was obvious race didn't matter when it came down to kissing, because even humans could be damn good at it.

After a little while we both broke off, panting lightly. Blushing faintly, I pulled the man closer.

"There is one thing that bothers me though." Kratos spoke, breaking a peaceful silence.

"Oh? What's that?" I asked, frowning.

"Because of your elven blood, you can always sense what kind of emotion I'm hiding. It makes me feel like I have no privacy." Kratos chuckled softly.

"Hmm… It might be an advantage at times. I can also sense when you're horny." I grinned, moving one of my hands to his waist.

"You're such a tease."

"That's what you get when you're with a half-elf." I taunted.

In the end, race doesn't matter. It all comes back down to the same thing. If your lover accepts you for who you are, then you should do the same.


	9. Another Way

((A/N: Five reviews? Yaay! Thanks guys! And one-shot number nine now.

This one... This one was just some random thought. I have to say, it turned out pretty good. Not as good as I imagined it, but... Yeah. I'm running out of ideas though. So starting now, I'm taking requests! Leave an interesting idea or random word for a new one-shot in your review and I'll see what I can do!))

* * *

Another Way.

I ran through the dark paths of Torent forest, breathing deeply. I was completely exhausted, but I couldn't stop to catch my breath. My assailant was right behind me. Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to draw my sword, but this was one enemy I couldn't face. I _wouldn't_ face him.

Lunging over a bush, I ended up in a clearing. I froze in my tracks. Right before me was Origin's seal. I'd been so pre-occupied, I didn't notice where I'd been going. He'd chased me here on purpose. My eyes widened as I whipped around to face him, his blue hair gleaming in the moonlight.

"Finally decided to stop running?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"Yuan…" I whispered softly. Maybe I could try to reason with him.

"What? Are you going to beg for your life?" Yuan raised an eyebrow at me. Then he drew his double-edged sabre, balancing it in his hands with a thoughtful expression.

"Yuan, you don't have to do this." I tried again.

"Yes I do!" He roared loudly, swinging his weapon at me furiously.

I managed to back away to avoid the blade just in time. Sadly, this caused me to trip over my own feet and fall backwards. The back of my head crashed into Origin's stone, causing me to cry out in pain. For a few seconds, I was completely dazed as stars danced in front of my eyes.

"This is the end." Yuan snarled, slowly stepping towards me.

"Please, stop." I pleaded, hastily sitting up straight. I really was begging for my life now. But I couldn't let him make the same mistake I once made. The mistake of killing the one you love with your own hands.

"Don't you see? I don't have a choice." Yuan almost hissed. One glance in his emerald eyes told me that he was holding back tears.

"There's always a choice! We can find another way." I said desperately.

"I've already looked for another way. There isn't one." Yuan's voice cracked slightly. "Now release Origin's seal. That way, it'll be quick and painless. If you don't, I'll have to end your life very slowly."

"I… I can't."

I couldn't release Origin's seal. I just couldn't. There had to be another way for Yuan to achieve his goals. All I needed was a little more time.

"Then you leave me no choice." Yuan swiftly raised his sabre above his head, ready to strike.

The following event happened so fast, I barely realized what was going on. Not thinking clearly, I drew Flamberge and thrusted it upwards. If anything, it was a reflex. Human nature. Which was why my eyes widened in shock when the blade instantly pierced flesh.

Yuan froze, a shocked expression on his face as he dropped his weapon to the ground. I had stabbed him just below the chest, where his armour didn't provide protection.

"N-no…" I watched in horror as my old friend keeled over, falling onto his back lifelessly.

"Y-Yuan?" I crawled over to him, removing the sword from his gut and lifting his head slightly.

Blood… So much blood…

"Yuan!" I cried out, staring into his empty green eyes.

Why did this have to happen? Why?

Tears started to run down my face as I called out his name again and again, a searing pain threatening to break my heart.

* * *

"Yuan!" My eyes snapped open as I sat up sharply, confusion and fear rushing through me. Cold sweat was running down my face, mixing with tears as I shook heavily. 

"Kratos?"

My breath got stuck somewhere in the back of my throat. I slowly turned my head to glance at my lover. He was lying next to me, bearing a worried expression. He was alright. _We_ were alright. We were home, in the Renegade base.

"A nightmare?" Yuan enquired, sitting up and leaning closer to me, wiping my face with his right hand.

"Ah… Yes." I sighed.

"Care to tell me what it was about?"

"You'd given up on trying to find another way to reunite the worlds." I spoke truthfully.

Yuan merely chuckled. "You know I'd never do that, right?"

"Yes." I wrapped my arms around him. Now, more than anything, did I just want to hold him close.

There's always a choice what path to take. Cowards might chose the easy way out. Like Mithos, they'll simply give up and sacrifice other lives to accomplish their goal. True heroes search for another way.


	10. Maternity Shopping

((A/N: Finally, after what seemed like aaages, I managed to finish one-shot number ten. I'm sorry it took so long. Little bit of writersblock, and I just couldn't get it right. ... I _still_ didn't get it right.

Anyway, this one my first one-shot-on-request. It is for **I like vader lots**, also known as Yuanfangirl, who wanted to see Yuan and Kratos going maternity shopping. Obviously, this means it's based on A Bundle Of Joy, my collaboration fic with **Niffe**. ... Yes, the M-preg one. The one where Yuan gets pregnant. It's not like the pregnancy is such a big issue here, but if the thought still creeps you out, you might like to skip this one-shot. Still, like I said, the pregnancy itself doesn't play such a big role. It's more about Yuan trying on clothes and being whiny. XD))

* * *

Maternity Shopping.

"Do you think this looks good on me?"

Kratos looked up from his magazine for what could've been the thousandth time that day to see Yuan standing in front of a mirror outside the changing rooms. Going shopping with the half-elf was quite tiring, especially now that he was pregnant.

"I've told you a million times you look great in everything." Kratos sighed, not knowing why this particular outfit should be any better than the hundreds of others that preceded it.

"I think it makes me look like a clown…" Yuan pondered, turning to the mirror again with a thoughtful expression.

"Then don't buy it." Kratos said simply.

"But I particularly like the way it hides my waist." Yuan continued, viewing himself from the side.

"Then buy it."

"But you just admitted it makes me look like a clown." Yuan huffed, crossing his arms.

"I never said that." Kratos looked lightly surprised. "I just said that if _you_ think it makes you look like a clown, you shouldn't buy it."

"I'm asking you for _your_ opinion!" the half-elf said loudly. By now, a few people in the store were starting to stare.

"Like I said, you look good in anything. You could wear a poodle outfit, for all I care, and you'd still look beautiful." Kratos spoke honestly.

"Then you don't care if I look like a complete idiot to others? If people laugh at me behind my back?" Yuan demanded, getting angrier by the second.

"I…" Kratos backed away in his chair slightly, wondering if there was anything he could say that _wouldn't_ insult the fuming half-elf.

"Would you rather cut yourself off from society then? Hide in the house until the nine months are over?" he questioned.

"N-no! I just want to find some clothes that I look good in." Yuan turned to the mirror again, running a hand through his hair.

"With the way you keep dismissing every single outfit you try on, I suspect we'll be here atleast a few more months then." Kratos replied, stifling a yawn.

"Hm…"

The human looked up at the lack of response, getting suspicious. "Yuan? Are you purposely rejecting all those clothes?"

"Ah?" his wife quickly whipped around, a slightly anxious expression on his face. "Well… I mean, I…"

"Why?" Kratos demanded.

"I just wanted to spend more time with you. You've been working so much lately…" Yuan glanced at the ground blankly.

"And we can't spend time together at home because…?"

"Because I'll eventually get some clothes out of it." Yuan said, suddenly grinning slyly.

"If you keep dismissing those outfits, I won't buy you anything, no matter how much you beg." Kratos spoke with a mock glare.

"Okay, okay, I'll take this one." The half-elf said hastily, hurrying into the dressing room again.

Kratos sighed, leaning back in his chair again. It seemed like it didn't matter whether the pregnant one was male or female. The mood swings remained, causing the future 'mother' to be in constant need of attention. Not that he wasn't willing to give Yuan all the time he could spare, anyway…

* * *

((I should be ashamed that it took me a month to write this monstrosity. -_pout_- 

Anyway, next up is a be-LATED birthday one-shot for **Katra**. ... That I haven't written yet. Still, if anyone has a request, feel free to post it! It might motivate me to write more.))


	11. Smell

((A/N: One-shot number 11! Yaaaay! I wasn't really planning on writing this one now. I wanted to write this one after the one that is still in planning. But... Well... Eventually, this one still came first.

My buddy Sam gave me a one-shot theme and I promised myself to write a one-shot about it. Here it is. It took me aaages to come up with a decent plot. So... Here's to you, Sam!))

* * *

Smell.

"Ewww!"

Yuan wrinkled his nose in disgust, taking a quick step backwards. He'd snuck up on his beloved swordsman mere seconds ago, wrapping his arms around the man's chest and nuzzling his neck, as he always liked to do. This time, however, he'd immediately backed away.

"What?" Kratos turned to frown at him, though his expression was mildly curious.

"What is that horrid smell?" Yuan's voice sounded slightly nasal, due to the fact that he was pinching his nose shut.

"What smell?" The auburn swordsman tilted his head, slightly confused.

"That… That… Ew…" Yuan cringed heavily. "It's so horribly sweet and… Yuck."

At the moment, Yuan hated being a half-elf even more than usual. Mixing his already heightened sense of smell with the Cruxis crystal's angelic abilities ensured that he'd nearly been knocked out by such a strong aroma.

"Sweet?" Kratos repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I assume it might be my new shampoo..."

"You got new shampoo? But why? I loved your old shampoo!" Yuan exclaimed, heavily offended.

He'd always liked the way Kratos' hair smelled. It was a nice, soothing lavender-ish scent. That was the main reason he always sneaked up on Kratos in the first place. Whenever he saw or smelled anything that had to do with lavender, he'd be instantly reminded of his lover. Now, that image was tainted forever. Ruined by the scent of what appeared to be every single fruit in existence, mashed together to create the strongest smelling shampoo in the history of both worlds.

"I figured I'd try something different for once…" Kratos shrugged.

"Then make sure it _stays_ a one-time thing! Jeez!" Yuan coughed, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Aren't you overreacting?" The human enquired with a sigh.

"Hell no!" Yuan said immediately. "Why'd you have to experiment with something like _that_?"

"It was a birthday gift from Yggdrasill." Kratos shrugged again, a helpless smile on his face.

"Figures." The blue-haired seraph rolled his eyes, all the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Nobody in their _right_ mind would give someone a shampoo like that, after all.

"It can't be _that_ bad." Kratos took a step forward, a slight hint of amusement in his eyes.

Yuan immediately backed away, covering his nose again. The horrible fruity smell was bringing tears to his eyes. "You stay away from me, you… you foul-smelling… monstrosity!"

"Come on, you know you want me." A wide smirk appeared on Kratos' face as he took another step forward, reaching out to grab Yuan's arm.

"Nooo!" Turning sharply, the half-elf started to run like his life depended on it. He had to admit, the scene would look odd to others. Luckily, the halls of Welgaia were nearly abandoned, so the risk of bumping into someone was very small.

It wasn't long, however, until Kratos caught up with him, turning him around and pinning him against the nearest wall. Yuan immediately started to struggle, flinching and coughing mildly.

"Kratos! Let go!" he said irritably, trying to push the man off him. The smell was making him nauseous.

"No." grinning even wider than before, Kratos leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lover's lips and at the same time running a hand up his shirt.

"Dammit Kratos!" Yuan managed to plant a hand in the other's face, forcefully pushing him back again and eliciting an irritated groan.

"Fine. But you're making it up to me tonight." Kratos' eyes moved down lustfully for a moment after he'd removed his hand from Yuan's shirt.

"As long as you get that poison out of your hair!"

"That's a promise." Kratos spoke immediately.

Yuan blinked for a moment before grinding his teeth together. "You bastard! You knew I'd hate the shampoo, didn't you?"

"Perhaps." Kratos smiled mysteriously. "I'll see you tonight."

And so, Yuan was left seething as he watched the man walk off again. The guy always thought of new tricks to ensure that he'd get laid. What annoyed Yuan the most was that those tricks weren't even necessary. He'd come to Kratos' room at any time. Therefore, the only point of those tricks was to give Yuan a headache.

Still, that night he arrived at Kratos' room, as always. There was no way he could break a promise, after all…

"Good evening, love." The swordsman spoke cheerfully as he opened the door.

Not wasting any time with words, Yuan immediately pushed Kratos aside and strode into the room. There was a soft clicking sound when he closed the door behind him.

"I know that smile." Kratos said slowly, backing away. "It never means anything good."

"Is that so?" Yuan looked around innocently, though he wasn't quite able to hide the amusement on his face.

"… Holy sh- What _is_ that?" Kratos quickly covered his nose and mouth with both his hands.

"Mm? You noticed?" the half-elf asked in a sweet voice. "It's one of the Desian's latest inventions. A special aroma that can't be sensed by anyone with elven blood. I wasn't sure if it was working or not, so I overdosed on it, just for you."

"It's horrible! This is how the Desians spend their budget?" tears were starting to spring to the man's eyes.

"Apparently. And it's a deodorant, so it's _all_ over my body." Yuan shot him a sensual yet sadistic smile.

"Oh gods!" remembering that the door was locked, Kratos backed into a corner, his eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll deal with you in a few minutes. But first…" wringing his hands evilly, Yuan entered the bathroom.

Ah yes, revenge was sweet. Almost as sweet as Kratos' new shampoo, which was now being emptied in the drain.

* * *

((Did you like? Did you like? Okay, I swear that next one-shot is the belated one-shot for Kat's birthday. I swear.)) 


	12. Touch

((A/N: Five reviews for the previous one-shot! Yaaay! Thanks guys!

Now, finally, my beLATED birthday present for Katra. I am horribly horribly ashamed, because her birthday was two months ago. I'm sorry Kat! I hope you'll still enjoy this.))

* * *

Touch.

I couldn't believe I was doing this… But this, this was just something I felt I had to do. I wouldn't be at peace if I didn't. I didn't know why, I just knew when. Now.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand to knock on the shabby wooden door. Then, I stepped back and glanced around aimlessly. Iselia forest… Who would've guessed anyone would be living inside it?

A few hours had passed since the incident in Torent forest. A new pact had been made with Origin and the Eternal Sword. Mithos had survived in his Cruxis crystal and tried to steal Lloyd's body. The chosen one interfered, only to be taken to Welgaia instead. So much happened in so little time…

The door opened to reveal Kratos, my oldest companion. I gave him a curt nod and he smiled lightly.

"I knew it was you." He spoke, placing his hands on his hips.

"Really? How?" I demanded, though I couldn't hide the curiosity in my voice.

"I just… felt it." He responded blankly.

"I see…" I glanced at the ground for a moment, before looking up at him again. "We need to talk."

"It's been a long time since I last agreed with you on something." He shrugged before stepping forward and closing the door behind him.

Silently, we started to walk through the forest, side by side. Today was the day Origin's seal had been released. I'd accomplished the goal I was striving for all these years and I managed to preserve Kratos' life while doing it. Yet, I still felt uneasy. It wasn't because Mithos was still alive…

"How are you feeling?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Not bad, thanks to your unexpected act of heroism." Kratos replied, another blank expression on his face.

Kratos always wore blank masks in my presence. It didn't used to be like this. Back when we were travelling, just the four of us, his smiles were truthful. His scowls were real. Heck, he even pouted once. Now, he never showed what he was thinking. Four-thousand years of working with Yggdrasill can do that to you.

"Well, I couldn't just let you die, right?" I said, not meeting his eye.

"Hmm…" Kratos stopped walking, leaning his back against a tree. Locks of hair fell across his face as he stared at his boots.

"Are you worried about Lloyd?" I enquired, watching him closely.

"No. He can take care of himself. If anyone can stop Mithos and save the Chosen, he can." Another smile made its way towards Kratos' lips.

"I suppose." Not wanting to see that smile any longer, I looked down and softly kicked a pebble that was lying in front of me.

A small silence followed. A painful, annoying silence. I still hadn't done what I promised myself I would. My fingers twitched anxiously.

"A Mana transfer, huh? I must give you credit for originality." Kratos spoke suddenly.

"Thanks." I replied, feeling uncomfortable.

"I heard that those normally don't go very well and that they can create a link between two people." The man continued.

"I was aware of the risks, if that's what you mean." I narrowed my eyes, looking up at him.

Kratos didn't do anything besides smile. That damn, hateful smile. I had to do it now, otherwise I might chicken out.

"You know, I came to find you because… there's something I wanted to do." I began, averting my gaze from his face again. "I don't know why, so just… don't get freaked out or anything. More importantly, don't laugh."

"What is it?" Kratos' voice was filled with curiosity.

"I want to… I mean… I…" gulping nervously, I felt my face redden a bit. "I need you to hold my hand."

It didn't occur to me until afterwards that maybe I'd voiced that wrongly. There were a million and one sarcastic comments to reply with. And it was a preposterous request to begin with. I shouldn't have asked.

Still, when I dared to look up at Kratos again, I noticed that he wasn't laughing at all. Nor was he freaked out. Instead, his expression was that of understanding.

"Should I take off my glove?" he asked simply.

I gave a shaky nod, knowing that for some reason, it would be better without two layers of cloth in the way. Which was why I removed my own glove at the same time. Not saying a word I raised my right hand, while he raised his left. Our palms met halfway and our fingers entwined almost immediately.

A strange feeling of satisfaction and relief rushed through me. Holding his hand like that felt soothing. Though at the same time… I wanted more. Apparently, Kratos felt the same way, as he raised his right hand and used his teeth to pull off his other glove. I mimicked his action before pressing our bare hands together.

It was odd, how something this simple could feel so wonderful. Was it because I had given him some of my own mana? _Had_ we created a link? Perhaps. … It didn't matter.

I stepped forward and at the same time he pulled me closer. He looked down while I looked up. We kissed in perfect synchronisation. Our grips grew stronger, as did my need to touch him. I simply wanted to be as close to him as possible.

When we reluctantly broke off, I noticed that we were both breathing in the same rapid and unsteady rhythm. It was like I could sense what he was thinking and feel what he was feeling.

"Y-Yuan…" he managed in-between gasps. His cheeks were bright red.

"You want more?" I guessed, knowing I was right.

He gave a shaky nod.

"Good. So do I." I released one of his hands and turned, unleashing my wings. "Follow me."

We both soared through the forest as fast as we could. What we needed was the nearest place to get some privacy, and I knew where that was. After all, there was only one abandoned building in Iselia forest.

"The ranch?" he asked, just before it came into view.

"That's right."

We flew straight over the gate without slowing down, landing just in front of a door before bursting through it. A mere second after that, we were sprinting down the empty halls, his steps matching my own.

Finally, we reached our destination. Forcystus' bedroom. It was the most luxurious bedroom in the ranch, after all. The door practically slamming shut behind us, I turned to wrap my arms around Kratos' neck while his arms wrapped around my waist. Our lips once again met in a passionate kiss.

Slowly but surely, we made our way over to the bed. My cloak fell to the ground, as his did a few moments later. His hands moved underneath my shirt, his fingers dancing up and down my skin. I pushed my hips closer to his, tilting my head to nip at his ear. All other thoughts were completely vanquished from my head, as I concentrated on him and him alone. More clothes were removed by the second.

At last, I felt myself bump into the bed and let myself fall backwards, sure that he would move down with me. We moved across the sheets in unison to get more comfortable, Kratos on top of me like some sort of predator, licking my neck.

A deep feeling of lust was clouding my mind. I wanted nothing more than to smell Kratos' scent. To taste his flavour. To feel his touch exploring every curve of my body. To look deeply into those ruby eyes and hear his coarse voice cry my name over and over.

I experienced pure bliss again, and again, and again… And again…

Sadly, even Seraphim have their limits. A few hours later, we were both left completely breathless, not to mention that I was slightly sore. Nothing a little First Aid couldn't fix though.

I was nestled tightly in his arms, my head resting on his shoulder. Finally, I felt complete. Like I'd found something important that I'd lost a long time ago. Or maybe I never had it in the first place. Either way, I was never going to let go now.

"Yuan?" I heard him whisper.

"Hm?" I shifted in his grip for a moment, nuzzling his skin.

"This isn't because of the Mana link, is it?" he questioned.

Mana link… Did I really create a Mana link with the man? Was that why I was so attracted to him? Was that why I had a sudden compulsive need to touch him?

"No." I shook my head. "I've felt this way a long time now. I was just too stubborn to notice."

I smiled up at him and he smiled back. A truthful smile that I hadn't seen in four-thousand years. It didn't matter whether there was a Mana link between us or not. I'd found my significant other and he found me.

* * *

((I have to say, this was one of my better one-shots, don't you agree? As for _which_ Chosen jumped in to save Lloyd, that's your decision. I say it was Zelos.)) 


	13. Flower Petals

((A/N: Alrighty, one-shot number 13! Is that an unlucky number? Well, not to me.

Christmas present for my friend Sam, who is one of the most awesome persons alive! Merry Christmas Sam, (and everyone else by the way...)  
I pointed the theme Flower Petals out to her, she said she couldn't think of a one-shot to write about that, and immediately I said "Are you kidding? I've already got inspiration!"  
So here it is! Enjoy!))

* * *

Flower Petals

"He loves me…"

Yuan sat on the edge of a cliff of Fooji mountain, overlooking the ocean. He was constantly tearing flower after flower from the ground.

"He loves me not…"

It was a crude method, really. Trying to determine if someone loves you by pulling petals off flowers. Sometimes the fifty/fifty percent chance would end up in your favour, providing you with hope.

"He loves me…"

Then again, with the amount of flowers in the world it could go on forever. Especially if you were a seraph who didn't age.

"He loves me not…"

Then there was the fact that the guy Yuan was aiming for was a similar seraph. Sure, his origin was human instead of half-elf, but he was a non-aging being nonetheless.

"He loves me…"

Still, Yuan continued to pick flower after flower, ridding them of their petals before throwing them over the cliff and watching them fall.

"He loves me not…"

"Yuan." Said a familiar voice.

The blue-haired seraph paused his flower decimation and turned his head, trying to suppress a blush. The man standing behind him was wearing an expression of mild amusement.

"Kratos." Yuan replied in acknowledgement.

He waited for Kratos to laugh. To mock him. Or perhaps just to relay some order from Yggdrasill. But instead, a small silence followed.

"Mind if I join you?" The man finally asked.

"Ah… Go right ahead." Yuan raised an eyebrow, wondering what his companion was planning.

Not another word passing his lips, Kratos walked forward and took a seat next to Yuan, staring blankly at the ocean below. Blinking in confusion for a moment, Yuan turned his attention back to the flower he was holding. Still, he didn't continue tearing off the petals. The moment was just too awkward. Well, for Yuan, anyway. Kratos didn't seem to be bothered by the silence at all.

"I never pictured you as the type to place your faith in the hands of irregular conjecture." The swordsman remarked.

"Can you truly say that, even after all this time, you know me?" Yuan asked, twirling the flower between his fingers.

"No, I guess not." Kratos admitted. "Still, I'd think you would take matters into your own hands."

Yuan bit his bottom lip, thinking things through. It was almost like Kratos was coaching him to admit his feelings. But what if the man didn't love him back? What if Kratos assumed that Yuan was in love with a completely different guy?

"Oh? You're suggesting that I simply walk up to a person and demand to know if he loves me?" he enquired.

"That's a rather crude way of putting it, but yes." Kratos crossed his legs, staring up at the sky. "If you never ask, you will never know. Plus, that person has a right to know your feelings too, does he not? If he doesn't accept them, it means he's a jerk and you can kick his ass."

"I guess that's true." Yuan smiled lightly, imagining himself pushing Kratos' face into the ground. Still, that only made the queasy feeling in his stomach worse.

They sat in silence for a while, as Yuan continued to debate with himself. He could tell Kratos now. It was the most opportune moment, after all. But what if…

"What if he thinks I'm a freak?" the half-elf mumbled softly, staring at the flower again.

He could already imagine the look of horror on Kratos' face. Those ruby eyes widening in shock… He'd scare the human away. Plus, since they had to work together, it'd make things extremely awkward. Saying that you love someone is something that can never be undone.

Kratos chuckled under his breath. "Since when do you care what other people think about you?"

"I'm not as heartless as I seem, you know! I have emotions too!" Yuan practically shouted, slightly hurt by Kratos' comment.

"Yes, I know. There's a lot of irritation and sarcasm there. Not to mention that horrible temper before you've had your morning coffee…" Kratos grinned slyly.

"Shut up." Yuan snapped loudly.

On the inside, he was sobbing in pain. Kratos, the man of his dreams, his _companion_, was mocking him. Pointing out his flaws. It hurt him like hell. He didn't notice that he'd crushed the flower in the palm of his hand.

"Yuan, I was joking. I didn't-"

"No, forget it." The seraph got to his feet and started to walk away. "Looks like I can't have a serious talk with you after all."

It was too bad, really. He kind of enjoyed having a heart to heart talk with Kratos, even if the human was clueless that he was the topic of conversation. In the end, he simply got hurt. Unrequited love was an injury that only continued to grow worse.

"I love you too."

Yuan froze in his tracks, his heart skipping several beats. Then he felt a strange tingling sensation spread through his body as he was overcome by dizziness and nausea.

"… What?"

He turned to face the man, who had now gotten to his feet wearing a grave expression. The thought that maybe he'd imagined things was now out of the question. Yuan felt himself go pale.

"You… What… How did you know?" he managed to splutter.

"It was painfully obvious. Especially with the way you were blushing when you noticed I'd caught you playing with the flowers." Kratos replied, striding towards him.

"Ah… I…" Yuan stepped back in reflex, not sure what to do. His mind had gone completely blank.

Next thing he knew, he was being pulled into a strong embrace, locks of auburn hair clouding his vision.

"I love you too." Kratos whispered into his ear, repeating those powerful words he'd said before.

Closing his eyes wearily, Yuan wrapped his arms around Kratos' chest to return the embrace. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be with the man he loved, and who loved him back. There was no need to worry about anything. Everything was alright now. No awkward moment, no severe pain… Just Kratos and him.

The crushed flower slipped from between Yuan's fingertips.

"… He loves me."


	14. Arguments

((A/N: One-shot number 14! This one is a birthday/Christmas present for Niffe! Awfully late too. I should stop procrastinating for once...

Not really a cool story behind this one. It just... popped into my head. Heh. Enjoy!))

* * *

Arguments

I sighed, staring blankly at the paper before me yet not quite reading the words. My thoughts were completely elsewhere, ensuring that I'd probably never get any work done. A cold feeling had nestled deeply in my stomach and I constantly felt like throwing something across my office.

It'd been another one of those days. Kratos and I had gotten into an argument. The same argument as always, though this time it had quite a different ending. Everything had completely spiralled out of control and the most vile insults had been exchanged between us. Eventually, I told him to 'get out and never come back', causing him to turn and leave without saying another word. If it were possible to slam automatic doors, I'm sure he would've done so.

I hadn't thought he'd actually do it. Especially since he was such a stubborn jackass. At first I figured he'd needed some time to cool off, but he'd been gone for too long now. Maybe he truly _was_ never coming back. I'd scared him off.

Letting out another sigh, I decided to admit defeat. These reports were not going to gain my stamp of approval until I'd found Kratos and somehow made up with him. Which was why I quickly shoved them into a folder and got to my feet, grabbing my cloak as I headed for the door.

It was stupid, really. All I wanted to do at this point was apologize to Kratos and get him to come home with me. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet I was willing to take all the blame if that was what it took.

I searched in Luin and Triet. I trudged through all the bars in Meltokio and Altamira. I visited all the quiet spots where he liked to hang out. I even went to Welgaia, to see if maybe he'd locked himself in his quarters. There was simply no sign of him anywhere.

If I couldn't find him, how was I going to apologize? I'd have to wait for another Cruxis meeting and corner him when Yggdrasill wasn't looking. But the next meeting wasn't scheduled for another month.

The cold feeling in my stomach only larger, I returned to Triet base wearing an expression of great annoyance. Renegades hopped aside when they saw me coming, giving nervous salutes as I strode past them. What a mess. Maybe I _was_ to blame for starting the argument. But I'd had every right to. If your lover was being a selfish bastard, it was your duty to say something about it, right?

I passed straight through my office, not even pausing my steps when I tossed my cloak to the floor, heading for my bedroom. My fingers automatically typed the password to open the door and I entered, intending to let myself fall onto my bed and not move again for another ten hours. That plan was foiled when someone moved to stand behind me, snaking his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

"So that's where you were…" I said, a smile tugging at my lips. "I was out looking for you."

Kratos pulled me closer, nuzzling my shoulder lovingly. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said those things I said."

The regret in his voice sounded truthful. Just like me, he only wanted to apologize and make things right again.

I turned in his embrace, looking up at him with weary eyes. "I'm sorry too. If I hadn't-"

Kratos cut me off from saying any more with a deep kiss. My words trailing off in a low moan, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing my body up against his. The phrase 'kiss and make up' came to mind. How easy it was to forget petty fights by having a display of passion.

Before I realized what was going on, Kratos had already taken off my armour and gotten me to the bed. Not once meeting my eyes, he pushed me down, removing my shirt as he laid down on top of me. Still kissing my lips, my neck, my bare chest… Wait a minute…

"Hold it right there, mister."

Kratos froze with an annoyed groan, his hand halfway to my pants. Then he looked up at me with a forced smile. "Yes?"

"Who says you get to be on top?" I demanded, sitting up.

"I thought we'd settled this last time…" Kratos looked away, crossing his arms.

"No we didn't! You walked out on me!"

"Because you told me to!"

"I had every right to! You _always_ get to be on top and I think it's downright unfair!"

"It's how nature intended it. The male gets to be on top."

"Shut up! I'm just as male as you are!"

"You wish… Now stop whining and take off those pants."

"I can't _believe_ you! You insensitive jerk! You never think about my feelings!"

And, just like that, the ancient argument was born anew.

* * *

((-_giggling_-)) 


	15. Emeralds

((A/N: Seven reviews for the previous one-shot! Wow! Thanks, everyone! Time for number fifteen!

I'm kinda proud of this one. It started as a random thought and evolved into a pretty long one-shot. I tried to keep it as IC as possible, but I think that at some moments I went a bit OOC. Mostly because Yuan has a sense of humour that he doesn't show in the game. Eheheheh.

Enjoy!))

* * *

Emeralds.

Here I was, standing in front of Triet's ranch. I couldn't quite believe that I was going to do this, but I had no choice. I was going to have to confront him sooner or later. Maybe, this way, I could finally get rid of the feeling that's been nagging at the pit of my stomach.

I glanced at the door, before turning my gaze upwards, trying to remember the events of three days ago. Replaying the images in my mind's eye. The reason I was here in the first place.

* * *

Yggdrasill had asked me to inspect Rodyle's new base. It was located on some remote island and my lord found it all rather suspicious. You never could tell where Rodyle's loyalties lay. He was far too unpredictable. Of course, he wasn't allowed to find out I was one of the four Seraphim. I had to pretend to be a standard Cruxis emissary. Being a human, however, did not work out in my favour. 

"-And this is the main control room. Everything has been calibrated to the finest detail, so don't touch anything." Rodyle snapped, casting me a filthy look. The same look his subordinates had been shooting me.

I wasn't bothered by their behaviour. Half-elves and humans simply clashed sometimes. After all I'd seen in my extended life, I would merely dismiss such petty insults with a wave of my hand. Or, in this case, a shrug.

"I see." I shoved my hands deeply into my pockets, trudging after Rodyle as I kept a look out for anything out of the ordinary.

The Desians all looked up at me when we entered the room. But now… Something was different. Their looks weren't quite disgusted. They seemed more… calculative. But it was probably just a trick of the eye. Their helmets were covering most of their face, after all.

One of them approached us, clutching a notepad. He bowed before his leader, before speaking in a low voice. "Here are today's statistics, sir."

Something was off about this Desian. Maybe it was his posture. I couldn't tell for sure.

"Yes, yes." Rodyle snatched the notepad from his hands, not even bothering to look at it.

At that moment, an alarm started to sound and the room was being dimmed in a red light. Right on cue, Rodyle started to glance around wildly.

"What is that?" he roared in an annoyed voice, pushing the Desian aside to get to the nearest control panel.

For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of a smile on the soldier's lips. "The alarms, sir."

If my sense of humour hadn't died a few thousand years ago, I might have dared to chuckle at that remark.

"A _monkey_ could tell me as much!" Rodyle shrieked, glaring back at him. "Why are they going off?"

In response, the Desian simply lifted his hand to point at a nearby security screen. From the looks of it, the halls were being flooded with water. Ocean water. Though I didn't know much about Desian bases, the alarms did not need to tell me that that was a bad thing.

"The flood gates are open." The Desian added lamely.

"Then close them!" Rodyle looked just about ready to throttle the man before him.

"Can't. The system's jammed."

For some reason, the Desian didn't seem all that worried that his place of work was about to be destroyed by a tidal wave. This would definitely count as 'out of the ordinary'. Rodyle would have noticed the same thing, if he hadn't been too busy cursing under his breath and bashing random buttons.

"Why won't it accept my password?" the cardinal finally shouted, smashing his fist into the panel.

Grinning in an almost satisfied way, the Desian stepped back, crossing his arms. In all this time, he had bluntly ignored me and continued to do so even now. This… This was definitely off.

Rodyle turned, visibly seething. He'd always seemed like a guy you'd never want to get angry, and now I saw why. A vein on his forehead was starting to show as he grinded his teeth.

"You… Renegade!"

"Always a pleasure." The 'Desian' gave a quick salute, still highly amused by the situation.

Through the slits in his helmet, I could see the man's eyes. They were like emeralds. A beautiful deep green colour, at the moment shining with defiance. Somehow… They seemed familiar.

I looked up, noticing that all other soldiers in the room were starting to move their hands to their weapons, closing in on us. An ambush. Every single Desian in Rodyle's control room was a Renegade and he didn't even know!

"Though, as much fun as it is to watch you drown… We'll pass on suffering the same fate." That being said, the Renegade gave a quick hand signal, telling his colleagues to move out.

In less than a few seconds, all the Renegades were running for the door. Their leader stayed behind to make sure that they all made it out safely before following. I simply stared after them for a moment, the alarms still blaring in the background.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get them!" Rodyle was practically tugging his own hair in irritation.

Snapping out of my stupor, I dashed out the room, right hand moving to my sword. As funny as they sometimes were, those Renegades were simply standing in Cruxis' way. Therefore, as one of the four Seraphim, I'd have no choice but to eliminate them. With my superhuman speed, catching up with them wouldn't be _that_ hard.

Sure enough, after rounding a few corners their group came into sight. They were so busy running and avoiding the real Desians, they didn't notice I was hot on their trail. Putting on an extra spurt of speed, I lunged forward to grab the arm of the Renegade that was forming the rear. The one that had done all the talking.

One hard tug was all I needed to get him to stop in his tracks. One hard tug to make him cease his running and whip around to face me. Once again, I stared deeply into those emerald eyes. They were widened slightly in shock and I saw a glint of helplessness concealed in them.

Those eyes prevented me from running the man through with my sword, right then and there.

There was a moment of silence. The world seemed to freeze. I wasn't quite sure what to do anymore and he seemed rather confused as well. Then, his fellow Renegades finally noticed what was going on and aborted their mad dash for freedom, wheeling around to face us.

"Sir!" one of them shouted, unsheathing his sword.

There was a quick blink of those emerald eyes as the Renegade finally decided to wrench himself free of my grip before joining his comrades. Together, they kept running.

Going…

Going…

Gone.

I simply stared after them, trying to process what had just happened. I'd missed a kill. I'd let one of my targets go, for no particular reason.

"Well? Did you get them?" Rodyle appeared next to me after some time, a demanding look on his face.

"Ah…" I finally sheathed my sword, not quite over the shock just yet.

"Tch." Rodyle's crossed his arms. "You call yourself an emissary of Cruxis?"

* * *

I walked through the halls of Yuan's base, following the Desian that had let me inside. After all this, I simply had to talk to him. 

Finally, we reached Yuan's office. The Desian pressed the intercom button next to the door, speaking in a swift pace.

"Lord Yuan? Lord Kratos is here to see you."

There was a small silence.

"You mean he's standing outside the base?" Yuan's voice asked.

"No, he's standing outside the office." The Desian responded.

"Oh. Well, hold on a moment."

The intercom was cut off abruptly. I blinked, slightly confused. The Desian didn't provide me with any answers either, as he simply stared blankly ahead, whistling a little tune to himself.

"Send him in." The intercom said after about a minute.

The Desian pressed a button on the panel, causing the door to open with a hiss. He gave a bow, waiting for me to enter. So I did.

Yuan was sitting behind his desk, shoving some stray papers into a drawer before looking up at me.

"You should have warned me you were coming. I can't dispose of all the mess in my office in ten seconds." He said, casting a quick glance at an empty coffee mug.

"I apologize." I took a seat in the empty chair in front of his desk.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked, his voice neither pleasant nor scolding.

"Is this a bad time?" I questioned in return.

He remained still for a moment, surveying me closely before responding. "Not at all. I was just wondering why you'd come all the way out here."

"I was under the impression that companions don't need an excuse to visit."

"I suppose." Yuan sighed, shuffling another stack of papers.

I leaned back, trying to think of the best way to word my suspicions. Yuan could always take things the wrong way and he tended to overreact.

"So… What exactly is it that you do around here?" I finally asked.

"Hm?" he looked up, frowning lightly.

"I mean… This ranch doesn't keep any humans. What does it do?"

"After all this time, you never bothered to find out? Such interest in your work…" Yuan muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. When he realized I was being serious, he sat up straight to explain. "You realize, of course, that Asgard ranch is specialized in exsphere manufacturing and Palmacosta ranch mostly focuses on keeping humans until they are assigned to the proper ranch? In a way, every ranch specializes in something. In this ranch, as well as the Flanoir ranch, we develop new technology for Cruxis and keep an eye on the magi-technology of the prospering world. We also intimidate the citizens in the area in the name of the Desians."

"I see." I ran a hand through my hair, watching his every move. "Then explain to me how the Renegades always get their hands on the latest Cruxis technology."

Yuan's face didn't show the slightest sign of flinching, yet I could see his eyes freezing over. "What are you implying?" he asked calmly.

"I'd say it is fairly clear." I responded in a cold manner.

"No, no. _Do_ go on." Yuan leaned forward, resting his head on his hands. "Your little theories amuse me."

"I'm merely saying that you should keep a close eye out for Renegade spies. They could be right under your nose."

"True." He gave a curt nod before sitting up again, his eyes narrowing. "However, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it without evidence. After all, I can't go around accusing my friends."

I let out a sigh of defeat. It was obvious enough what he was trying to say. This wasn't going to get me anywhere, which meant that it would be best to drop the matter before things got out of hand.

I got to my feet again, heading for the door. "I'll let you get back to work now. Thanks for seeing me."

"Always a pleasure." I heard Yuan respond, and when I whipped around I saw that he was saluting me with a wide grin. Mirth was evident in his eyes. Green eyes that sparkled like emeralds.

* * *

((-_giggles_- Yuan enjoys messing with Kratos' mind.)) 


	16. Forgotten

((A/N: Six reviews! Thanks, everyone!

Don't ask me where I got the inspiration for this one. It's... based on a real life situation of mine. I wrote it within ten minutes. Sorta short, and sorta sad, I guess... I hope you'll enjoy anyway.))

* * *

Forgotten.

I sigh, staring out the window. Nothing interesting is out there to see. Just the regular things. Endless sand. Still, I will continue to stare outside. I will probably continue to stare forever. What else can I do?

You left me here. Without thinking about my feelings, you left me. You will probably never return. I'll never see your face again. Those eyes I love so much. Those lips I cherish so much… Gone forever. Adrift in outer space.

Before you left, I tried so hard to get you to notice. I kept throwing a few hints at you, hoping you'd catch on. You never did. Are you really so thick, or just pretending to be?

Before you left, I asked you for a hug. A hug I hoped would last forever. It didn't. After a while, you broke off. My heart tore apart. We said our farewells and parted ways.

So now I stare out the window, completely at loss for what to do. I keep hoping to see you there, though I know it would never happen. My fingers touch the cold glass, almost as if trying to reach through it. Nothing out of the ordinary happens.

My communications device can still make contact with Derris-Kharlan. I tried, on several occasions, to talk to you. The only response I ever get is that you're fine, and terribly busy. You can't even make time to talk to me.

What do I have to do to get you to notice me?

I could record a message and send that to you. I could record a speech, telling you about I feel. So that you could view it whenever you have the time. But… Something's stopping me. Perhaps it's my pride. Besides, even though I know fully well what I want to say, I'd have no idea how to word it. Love is strange in that way.

You won't ever notice me.

About five-hundred years from now, Derris-Kharlan will return to here. Will I see you again? Will you even think about looking for me? Probably not. You'll be too busy meeting with other people. I'll be left forgotten.

I sigh again, trying to ignore the empty void in my heart.

How come you never noticed?


	17. Valentine's Day

((A/N: Number 17! Wewt!

This one was written mostly on improv. I mean, sure, I did have a basic plot before I started writing, but... A lot of the basic plot was altered. Anyway, I really like this one, because of the sly comedy that's hidden in there. You'll get what I mean when you read it.))

* * *

Valentine's Day.

Yuan sighed tiredly, skulking through the desert. He kept telling himself that there wasn't really a reason to be sighing. That he was just overreacting and should stop thinking about it. Yet for some reason… He couldn't.

Valentine's day. A day to do something special for the one you love. To confess your feelings, or simply to remind your partner that you still care. A day of romance.

It had come and it had gone. More than anything, Yuan wished he could've spent it with Kratos. He even had quite a lot of things planned. Some more crazy than the other. He'd actually been looking forward to it. A holiday that was pretty much invented by market people to earn some extra money. How stupid.

It was all Yggdrasill's fault, really. All of a sudden, the bastard just _had_ to send Kratos off on some mission. A mission that could take days, perhaps even weeks. This was why Valentine's day had come and gone, while Yuan was forced to shred all his lovely plans.

He could've had a romantic candlelight dinner with Kratos. They could've gone to watch the fireworks in Altamira. They could've reserved the hotsprings. They could've gotten completely wasted in the Renegade's secret wine cellar. Heck, at one point Yuan even had a wild fantasy about chocolate sauce and marshmallows.

This year, however, Yuan had spent Valentine's day wandering aimlessly through the streets of Triet, keeping an eye out for Desian activity. He'd watched couples pass him by, holding hands and giggling. They all seemed a bit startled when they noticed the half-elf's irritated scowl, speeding up their pace, but Yuan didn't care.

He'd hoped that maybe Kratos would at least send him a card, but no such thing happened.

The day after Valentine's day, Botta told him not to be upset about it. That _he_ hadn't gotten a card or anything either. He even offered to share the chocolates that Botta had confiscated from one of the recruits. This didn't cheer Yuan up one bit.

Two days after Valentine's day, a few of the recruits decided to play a little prank on Yuan. They wrote an anonymous letter to their leader, confessing in rather explicit detail what they would like to do to him, should he return the imaginary man's feelings. Yuan was not amused. Finally, the latest in Renegade DNA research came in handy, as the pranksters had been given a year's worth of toilet duty that very same day.

Three days after Valentine's day, Yuan was confronted with the fact that his 'bad temper' seemed to be having a negative effect on the other Renegades. That was how Botta worded it, anyway. Yuan kindly requested that Botta should get out of his office. His sub commander told him, with a rather nervous expression, that there was no need to use the F-word or throw pencils.

Four days after Valentine's day, Yuan was thrown out of his base and into the desert to 'cool off'. Botta ensured him that it was for his own good. Yuan, in turn, ensured _him_ that the second he got back inside, he would punish his sub commander in unthinkable ways. The term 'toilet duty' came to mind, though the thought of scratching desserts off the menu seemed rather appealing as well. He decided to go with both.

So there he was, wandering the desert and hoping that he would be 'cooled off' again soon. Rather ironic, seeing as a desert was usually filled with nothing but heat.

As Yuan passed the base's entrance for the third time in two hours, he noticed something rather peculiar. Lying on the doorstep was a single red rose. As he picked it up, he noticed that there was no card attached to it, or anything like that. It was simply… a rose.

He glanced around to see if anyone was near, but his surroundings were completely deserted. Again, cruel desert irony. Deciding he might as well stop his pointless wandering, Yuan sat down next to the door, twirling the rose between his fingers.

Another prank, maybe? What did he ever do to those damn recruits? Was one year of toilet duty not enough for those jerks?

Finally, the door hissed open and Botta carefully poked his head outside. "Sir? Have you calmed down now?"

"I've calmed down enough to prevent me from firing you on the spot, if that's what you mean." Yuan snapped.

"Eh, good enough." Botta moved back, allowing Yuan to enter the base again.

The seraph pushed himself to his feet, stepping past his sub commander before he could change his mind. They made their way through the halls together, as Botta stared at the flower with an interested expression.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A rose, obviously." Yuan rolled his eyes.

"Uh… Alright." Botta obviously decided it would be a good time to leave, as he quickly took a sharp turn to the left and entered the cafeteria.

A short walk later, Yuan reached his office and entered without delay. He was going to be needing one heck of a shower to get all that desert sand out of his hair. Time to use up all that shampoo he'd stolen from Yggdrasill. Then, maybe, he could spend the rest of the evening locked away in his room, sulking. That sounded particularly nice at the moment.

Just as he took off his cloak, his eyes were once again drawn to the floor. There, right on front of his bedroom door, was another rose. Just like the other one, it was red and the absence of a card stood out heavily. Yuan muttered various obscenities under his breath and snatched it from the ground, suppressing a strange need to tear it into bits. Then he placed it on his desk with the other one.

It was strange, in a way, seeing as random pranksters weren't supposed to have the entrance code to Yuan's office. Unfortunately, the disgruntled Renegade leader was too distracted to pursue that matter.

He entered his bedroom, threw his cloak to the ground, turned to the beds and froze.

"… Kratos!"

That was just about the only word Yuan could manage, seeing as his jaw had dropped to the floor.

"Hello, Yuan." Kratos purred sensually, removing a rose from between his teeth.

One slap in the face later, Yuan managed to find his tongue again. "You're… You're…"

"I was waiting for you. What took you so long?"

"I… I…" Yuan turned in reflex to see if anyone was around. Quite a silly thing to do really. Then he turned back to Kratos. "What happened to your… I mean… You're naked!"

"I know." A sly grin made its way across Kratos' face.

"… Wow…" Yuan managed to say, lowering his gaze to stare at the path of rose buds, leading to the bed Kratos was lying on. To make things better, rose petals were scattered across the sheets. The finishing touch, though, would have to be the candles that were glowing merrily on his nightstand.

"Happy late Valentine's day, Yuan!"

* * *

((-_giggles_- The original plan was to have an entire path of roses, leading all the way through the Renegade base and up to Yuan's bedroom. That way Yuan would walk through the door holding an entire bouquet of roses, only to drop it the second he sees nekkid Kratos. Sadly, it didn't really work what with Botta and all the Renegades hanging out in the base. XD)) 


	18. Wasted

((A/N: Number 18...

I wanted to write something fun. Completely on improv. So... This is what happened. I'm sure that if it was something planned, it could've been better, but... I gotta challenge my improv skills on occasion, you know. Enjoy!

Oh, I'm still taking requests, by the way.))

* * *

Wasted.

Kratos stifled a hiccup, staring deeply into his glass. How many beers had he had already? Three? Nine? His mind was so blurred he couldn't really remember. The empty glasses on the table should have been some sort of indication. Then Kratos realized he had temporarily lost the ability the count.

Oh yes. Wasted.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Yuan was trying to make conversation with Sheena over the loud pounding of the music. He wasn't quite sure whose party this was, or why he was even here. All he knew was that he could drown out his irritation with a few more beers. Which was exactly what he did.

Also wasted.

It was, in fact, an engagement party, for Lloyd and Zelos. For some reason, however, the guests of honour had mysteriously disappeared not too long ago. So far, the guests were too drunk to notice their absence. This was why the party continued without fail, as booze was passed endlessly all over the place.

Zelos' neighbours had tried to complain about the loud music on several occasions. Yet, not one of the guests was in a state decent enough to receive their cries of despair.

Kratos leaned back in his chair, clutching a large bowl of potato chips. He hadn't quite figured out what that strange ringing in his ears meant, but he had already determined it didn't really matter much. After all, the ringing did not render him unable to eat or drink. When he felt his stomach give a nasty squeeze, however, he came to the assumption that unless he found a bathroom soon, he was going to have to throw up in a bowl of chips. Not a nice prospect, since the chips would be ruined. Grunting, he pushed himself to his feet and staggered into the hallway.

At the same time, Yuan realized that a conversation with Sheena was out of the question for several reasons. One; they were standing right next to the boombox. Two; He couldn't remember what they'd already talked about. Three; Sheena had just passed out. Sadly, this meant that the only person left in the room who Yuan could talk to was Regal, who was already peering at him with a fixated stare. Not a nice prospect, since Regal gave him the shivers. Not wasting any time, he decided to flee into the hallway.

"Ow!"

For a moment, the two men stood, rubbing their heads. Then Yuan looked up and glared at the auburn-haired human.

"Watch where you're walking."

Kratos replied with a low grunt that sounded an awful lot like "Meh."

A small silence followed. Yuan yawned drunkenly and tried to continue on his way, but Kratos stopped him.

"Have you… Seen the bathroom?" Kratos' voice sounded awfully slurred.

"How the hell should I know? This place is… Eh…" Yuan trailed off for a moment, a blank expression on his face. Then he gave a quick blink. "It's huge."

"Ugh." Kratos turned and opened a nearby door. "Found it."

Yuan peeked inside the dark room, squinting for no particular reason. "That's a broomcloset."

"No it's not."

"Well, what's that then?" Yuan pointed inside.

"… A broom," Kratos responded simply.

"See?"

"Not every room that has a broom in it has to be broomcloset," Kratos retorted.

"Well, it's certainly no bathroom," Yuan spoke crossly.

"Humph." Kratos raised his nose into the air, wandered into the room and closed the door behind him. There was a loud crashing sound and a yelp.

Not able to contain his curiosity, Yuan opened the door again and flicked on the lights. Kratos was sitting on the ground, an upside down bucket on his head and many brooms surrounding him.

"See? It's a broomcloset."

"Didn't you say it was a bathroom?" Kratos lifted the bucket off his head.

"That was you. … Wasn't it?" Yuan thought deeply, beginning to doubt himself.

"Eh…" Kratos tried to push himself to his feet but immediately fell over with a metallic clang. "… Strange."

The next two minutes, the human attempted in vain to get a bucket off his left foot. Finally, Yuan decided to stop laughing and stepped into the closet, crouching down in front of him. The door fell shut behind him. Yuan grasped the bucket firmly with two hands and pulled it off. This also caused him to lose his balance and topple backwards, into the wall. A few more brooms fell over.

Kratos chuckled drunkenly, watching Yuan struggle to free himself. Then, he reached out to move a few brooms into the corner.

"I hate this place," Yuan grunted.

"The beer is good though," Kratos commented in return.

"I guess."

Kratos attempted to get to his feet again, yet he managed to trip over the bucket that was pulled off his foot not too long ago. He stumbled forward, right into Yuan's lap. The half-elf immediately started to blush like mad.

"Get off," he spluttered.

"I would, but the world appears to be spinning," Kratos muttered.

"Blame your fate," Yuan spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

After a small silence, in which the joke got through to Kratos' brain, the man started to laugh. Yuan decided to join in. So, both seraphim were sitting on the floor of a broomcloset, laughing their heads off.

Then, completely without warning, Kratos placed his hands on either side of Yuan's head and leaned forward, kissing him on the lips. Yuan's laughter turned into a sound of surprise, then further evolved into a moan. One of his hands wandered upwards and found a place on the back of Kratos' head, pushing the human closer. Had they not been so intoxicated, the two would have found this awkward. Now, their pride was so stumped they really didn't care what the other thought. They did have feelings for each other, after all…

* * *

The following morning, Zelos and Lloyd returned to find Zelos' home completely trashed. Several people were on the floor, groaning deeply, chips were everywhere and empty beer glasses littered the floor. The music was no more, because someone had rammed a battle staff through the sound box. 

What they'd found most disturbing, however, was that they'd seen Kratos and Yuan exit a broomcloset, both holding their heads. Kratos' shirt was ripped and Yuan appeared to be limping slightly. They decided, however, not to ask the two seraphim any questions, since they both seemed rather disgruntled. Upon leaving, though, Yuan made the comment that there should be another party very soon. Kratos agreed by nodding vigorously. The nodding, in retrospect, turned out to be a bad idea.

Sure, the hangovers aren't very nice, but apart from that being wasted isn't always such a bad thing.

* * *

((Before you ask... No, I've never been wasted.)) 


	19. Idiot Seraphim Parody Two

((A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it? -_sigh_-

The writersblock is taking on whole new forms of extreme. Luckily, I got inspired enough to write this. Teracia gave me the idea and, well, I couldn't help myself. So, as present for Teracia... Idiot Seraphim parody number two! Logically it includes Idiot Seraphim pairings. So aside from the logical Y/K, we've also got Lloyd/Zelos, Colette/Martel... And well, Genis isn't there right now. Otherwise it'd be Mithos/Genis too. Eheheh...  
Enjoy!))

* * *

Idiot Seraphim Parody Two

It was yet another random evening at Vinheim the second. The seven seraphim were gathered around the table, having dinner. Yes, it seemed like it would be a reasonably normal dinner, when Zelos suddenly started to giggle.

As one, everyone immediately looked up from their food to stare at him. The giggling subsided a bit.

"What?" Lloyd asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zelos giggled again, putting down his fork.

"Okay, seriously. What's so funny?" Martel snapped.

"Heheheh… Sonic Thrust." Zelos snorted immaturely.

"… Huh?"

"Sonic _Thrust_." Zelos said again, putting a lot of emphasis on the last word.

Slowly, it dawned on most of the others. Lloyd started laugh, Mithos choked his milk up through his nose and Yuan hid a wide grin behind his hand. Kratos bit his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing as well. Martel, however, merely raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, how immature." She shook her head dismissively.

"You're just jealous because Colette doesn't know how to do a Sonic Thrust." Yuan said, causing Zelos, Lloyd and Kratos to stifle a snigger.

"Of course I can't do Sonic Thrusts. It's kind of hard to thrust a chakram… It's not pointy. It's _round_." Colette replied, completely missing the double meaning.

Right on cue, all the male seraphim at the table started to roar with laughter. It took about half a minute for them to settle down.

"I don't get it." Colette said simply.

"Well, naturally you don't _get_ Sonic Thrusts. Martel doesn't know how to do them either." Yuan commented casually, causing half the table to burst into another fit of giggling.

"Oh? If I'm not mistaken, Yuan, you can't do Sonic Thrusts either." Martel shot back at him.

"Simple reason for that. My sword is too big to thrust." Yuan replied, trying to keep his face as level as possible.

Immediately, most of the seraphim started to chuckle again.

"Are you implying my sword is small, since it _can_ thrust?" Kratos asked with a pout.

"That's now what I meant at all." Yuan assured his lover delicately. "I love your sword. It's perfect."

"Heheh."

"Lloyd, do you think you could do a Sonic Thrust with your Eternal Sword?" Zelos asked his husband innocently.

"I'm not sure. I've never tried it. You're usually the one doing most of the thrusting." Lloyd smirked widely.

"Oh, guys! Stop it already!" Mithos called, shuddering. "You're giving me gross mental images!"

"Are they bloody mental images?" Colette asked curiously. "Because Sonic Thrusts can lead to awful stab wounds and-"

Zelos was practically rolling over the floor with laughter, as Lloyd wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and Yuan banged a fist on the table. Kratos was chuckling sheepishly.

"Colette, please. Be quiet and play with your napkin before you cause even more damage." Martel gave the girl a gentle pat on the head.

"Okay!" Colette smiled cheerfully and started folding her napkin.

For a moment, it was silent. Zelos crawled back on his chair and most of the guys turned back to their food. But then…

"You know, Yggdrasill can't do Sonic Thrusts either."

Everyone except Mithos and Colette started to laugh again. Even Martel had to try hard to hide a smile this time.

"How about I thrust this fork into your eye?" Mithos threatened, glaring at Yuan.

"As much as that would hurt, I'm kind of curious how you'll perform that little trick." Yuan said thoughtfully. Across the table, Zelos started to giggle.

"It's easy." Colette remarked, looking up from her napkin. "All he has to do is pick up the fork and-"

Instant chaos erupted, as Mithos slammed both hands onto the table, blushing indignantly. At the same time, both Yuan and Zelos fell off their chairs with laughter and Lloyd fled the table in a hurry. Kratos tried to hide his face in his hands to cover up his amusement, but failed miserably.

"Oh, honestly. You're all behaving like little children." Martel got to her feet. "Come on Colette, we'll go have dinner with more mature people."

"Okay!" Colette hopped off her chair and skipped out the door. Martel followed.

"Heheheh, oh man… I haven't had such a good laugh in centuries." Yuan crawled back on his feet and sat down again.

"You know what's even better than Sonic Thrusts?" Kratos asked.

Everyone looked at him expectantly, and even Lloyd poked his head into the room once more. A small silence followed as Kratos folded his hands neatly. A wise expression, mixed with a tint of amusement, dawned on his face.

"Supersonic Thrusts."


	20. Fortune

((A/N: 7 reviews on previous one-shot? Niiice.

Time for number 20! And the first request fill! This one is for **Demothi**, who requested something with the fortune teller from Triet. Next request will be for Serenity Aur. ... The second I get inspiration for her request...

Enjoy!))

* * *

Fortune

Yuan took a deep breath, telling himself this was a one-time charity thing, before stepping into the tent of the one and only Triet fortune teller. Immediately, he was hit by the distinct smell of incense, causing him to wrinkle his nose. A soft bell tinkled somewhere in the back of the shop as he entered, and the fortune teller looked up at him with a wise expression.

"Welcome, Yuan. I knew you would come," she said in a gentle voice.

At first, Yuan wondered how the woman knew his name. Then he realized that, thanks to the Renegades, he'd become a bit notorious in Triet. It wouldn't be uncommon for someone to know his name.

"Good for you," he spoke with a slight hint of sarcasm, crossing his arms.

"You wish for me to tell you about your soulmate, correct?" the fortune teller asked, completely unphased by Yuan's behaviour.

"Eh…"

Secretly, Yuan knew he was here because of that. Because he'd heard that the fortune teller had the power to pinpoint your true love. Because he was tired of being all alone. He would never admit that out loud, though.

"Sure. As long as it's cheap."

"In your case, I'll do it for free." The fortune teller smiled mystically, as though she knew something he did not.

Honestly, it ticked Yuan off.

The woman averted her gaze to the crystal ball before her, then closed her eyes in concentration. Her hands moved over the object as she muttered something under her breath. Yuan had the faint feeling the smell of incense had suddenly increased. It sure seemed to have gotten a bit warmer in the small stuffy tent.

After about fifteen seconds, the fortune teller's eyes shot open again as she stared deeply into her ball.

"I see… Your soulmate has been by your side all this time, hoping you would notice. Your mind is being clouded by pride, ensuring that you do not see what is right under your nose," She whispered softly.

Yuan blinked. His soulmate? Right by his side? Pride clouding his mind?

"Preposterous!" he snapped. "I hardly ever work with women these days, let alone talk to them."

Another smile dawned on the fortune teller's face. "Who said it was a woman?"

Yuan could have fainted, right then and there. Instead, he decided to explode.

"What do you mean? My soulmate can't be a _man_! You're mocking me, aren't you? You're a third-rate swindler!" he shouted angrily.

"Certainly not. Gender does not matter when it comes down to true love. When two souls are attracted to one another-"

"Oh, don't give me that New Age babble!" Yuan snapped, rudely interrupting the woman.

"… It is your choice whether you decide to accept it or not," the fortune teller spoke softly. "But let me remind you, Yuan, _you_ were the one who came to _my_ shop."

Yuan silently seethed, knowing very well the woman had a point. He was the one who'd wanted to find out. Though part of him said that she was playing him for a sap, there was that little voice of curiosity in the back of his mind.

"Fine. Then, tell me this… Who is it?" he crossed his arms expectantly.

Again, the woman turned her gaze to the crystal ball before her. It seemed almost like the thing was shimmering. That was weird, Yuan noted, since there wasn't that much light in the tent at all. Perhaps it was because of the candles…

"You see him on a regular basis. He is a co-worker of yours. His hair is dark and his eyes are very soulful. Deep and somber."

Yuan stayed silent, thinking deeply. It couldn't be…

"It's hard to get a name through… Only jumbled letters.. I can see an A, and an O. There's definitely a T in the middle…"

"Okay, okay! I've heard enough!" Yuan spoke loudly, not wanting to hear any more. This woman had to be joking. There was no way… _No_!

"Was that hint good enough for you?" the fortune teller smiled again, mirth evident in her eyes.

Yuan reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and slammed one hundred Gald on the table.

"Thanks for the trouble," he grunted, before storming out the tent again. He could faintly hear the woman chuckle under her breath, but ignored her.

* * *

That night, Yuan sat behind his desk, absentmindedly swirling the contents of his glass of wine around with his right hand. He gazed at the papers on his desk, yet he wasn't quite seeing them. His mind was still on what the fortune teller had said. 

With all those hints, there was no mistaking it. Someone he saw on regular basis… A co-worker… Dark hair and somber eyes… Those letters in his name…

_Botta_.

Inwardly, Yuan shuddered. He didn't mind Botta, not at all. In fact, he saw him as a close friend. He'd trust Botta with his life. But he certainly could not see himself any closer to the man than that.

Right on cue, his trusty sidekick entered the office, giving a quick salute.

"Gee, sir, you're looking more down than usual today," Botta commented bluntly. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, no… It's nothing," Yuan lied.

"If you say so…" The half-elf wasn't quite convinced, but obviously decided not to pursue the matter. "I've got the reports you asked for. Fake Renegade information, I mean. Yggdrasill will be going around in circles with these clues. All you need to do is place your signature underneath and claim the credit."

Botta placed a small bundle of papers before Yuan. The Renegade leader glanced at them, before nodding. "Excellent work, Botta. As always."

"Thank you, sir." Botta saluted again. "Then, I'll be going home now."

Just as Botta headed for the door, Yuan decided to just test his luck and scrape together his courage. He didn't like it, but if it was his destiny, he might as well give in to it.

"Wait."

"What is it, sir?" Botta paused and turned back, looking at Yuan expectantly.

"Would you… like to stay and have a glass of wine with me?" the seraph managed to force a faint smile onto his face.

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't." Botta shook his head apologetically. "I've got a date tonight."

"A date?" Yuan repeated, slightly confused.

Botta nodded, a proud smile on his face. "Yes. With private Langley from the engineering department. It took me months to scrape up my courage and ask her, but I'm sure she does enjoy my company."

Yuan blinked. Botta was going on a date… But then, the fortune teller must have been lying. She'd been playing him for a sap after all! She'd said that his soulmate was waiting for him to notice his feelings, but Botta clearly liked private Langley. This, in a way, was both a relief and a disappointment. Sure, Botta wasn't his soulmate. But that meant he _would_ spend the rest of his life all alone.

"Oh, I see. Then, have fun." Yuan smiled again, though this time a bit sad.

"Thank you, sir."

With that, Botta was gone. Yuan sighed, draining his glass in one gulp before grabbing the bottle for a refill.

* * *

"Yuan, wake up!" 

"Nhuh?" Yuan blinked sleepily. For a moment, he wondered why his head was resting on his arms, which were placed on the desk. Then he realized that he must've fallen asleep. He sat up, yawning widely. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight."

Yuan blinked again, before looking straight into the face of Kratos Aurion. A small silence followed. "What the hell are you doing in my office?"

"I apologize for intruding. I just came to get that report on the Renegades' movements. Yggdrasill has been asking about it for days now," Kratos responded, sounding a bit tired.

"Oh, hold on." Yuan grabbed a pen, scribbled his signature of approval onto the first paper and handed the entire bundle to Kratos. "There."

"Hmm…" Kratos weighed the papers in his hand. "Look at you. Master of your own ranch, and already doing more work than you should."

"It's because I have no social life, as I'm sure you must've realized by now." Yuan rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

Kratos gave a small chuckle. "Oh, that reminds me. Did you go to see the fortune teller like I suggested?"

"… Yeah…"

"She's good, isn't she?" the man leaned forward, fixing Yuan with an interested glance. "What did she say?"

Yuan's face darkened as he remember all those 'fake' hints the fortune teller had thrown at him. Co-worker, dark hair, somber, soulful eyes… Then it hit him.

_Kratos_.

A faint blush appeared on Yuan's cheeks, he was sure. Why was he blushing?

"Oh, eh… A load of nonsense, I'm sure," he said, not meeting Kratos' gaze.

"Hmm… I should have known you wouldn't believe in something like divination," Kratos said, a quite strange shine hidden in his eyes. Was it disappointment? "Well, I'll leave you to get back to work."

Kratos silently turned, trudging to the door. Yuan noticed his head was bowed slightly lower than usual, somehow reminding him of a kicked puppy. For some reason, Yuan didn't want to see Kratos leave. Even though he saw the man on a regular basis… Even though he was right under Yuan's nose the whole time… How could he have been so _blind_?

"Wait!"

In his haste to get up, Yuan knocked over the chair he was sitting on. Kratos looked back at him, a blank expression on his face.

"Ah…" Yuan quickly glanced around, panicking slightly. Then his eyes fell on the empty bottle that was lying next to his desk. "Would you like to have a glass of wine with me? I've got another bottle in my room, and everyone's gone home so we have the place to ourselves."

In that moment of silence, Yuan wished upon every star that existed that the fortune teller was not a swindler.

"I suppose Yggdrasill can wait another day for this report." For the second time that day, Kratos chuckled brightly. It was quite a treat, since the man hardly ever chuckled.

So it happened that Yuan's faith in divination had increased mildly. He found that in the end, he wouldn't have to spend his nights all alone. His soulmate had been right under his nose, after all. It was… How had the woman worded it? '_Pride clouding his mind_'.

What Yuan did not know, however, was that Kratos had had a helping hand in giving Yuan a shove in the right direction. The fortune teller from Triet could be called many things. A fake, a scam artist, a con, a cheater or a swindler... However, she was always willing to help a young couple get together for the right price. Five hundred Gald from Kratos' wallet was all it took to make her see true visions. Perhaps this was her true fortune.

* * *

((Heheheheh... Kratos, you sneaky dog!)) 

((Also, no offense to Yuan/Botta fans! I don't have anything against the pairing, just so you know. It was for comedy relief purposes.))


	21. Old Memories

((A/N: Finally! It's number 21! Thanks for the reviews on the previous one-shot!

At last, the request for Serenity Aur shallt be fulfilled! I'm sorry it took so horribly long. A one-shot involving... A diary!))

* * *

Old Memories.

Silently, he stepped across the room. He was careful not to make any sounds that might alert his companion. Pulling back a chair, he sat down behind the desk. Then, he opened the top drawer and pulled out a small, black booklet. Opening it on a page at random, he started to read;

* * *

Dear diary. 

Today, Kratos returned from his longest mission yet. Five years, he had vanished from Derris-Kharlan. As mentioned in earlier entries, he had gone to the surface of the planet, travelling from continent to continent to spread the teachings of the Church of Martel. In a seraph's life, five years are nothing. However, when you are stuck in Welgaia with nothing but Yggdrasill and a few lifeless angels, five years are an eternity. I had come to miss our monthly sparring sessions.

We were both summoned to Yggdrasill's throneroom, where Kratos gave his report on the mission. As usual, even after five years, he hadn't changed one bit. After a mind-numbingly boring monologue on the churches, we were both dismissed. Kratos disappeared to his room, possibly to unpack, as I haven't seen him since. I am somewhat miffed that he hadn't even bothered to properly say hello, but I suppose I'm in no place to complain about it.

* * *

For a moment, he remained quiet. Then, he skipped ahead a few pages, trying to find something interesting. It wasn't that hard to read in the dark; his enhanced eyesight could handle it easily.

* * *

Dear diary. 

My monthly sparring sessions with Kratos have resumed. Sadly, over the last five years, my skills have become rusty. I was easily defeated. I should have trained while Kratos was away, but there is nobody in Welgaia with fighting abilities that are able to match a seraph. Except for Yggdrasill himself, of course. Somehow, I doubt I'd leave a sparring match against him alive.

After striking me to the ground for the last time, Kratos helped me to my feet. As he did, I noticed that strange expression on his face. One that he shoots me on occasion when he's standing close to me. As usual, it made me quite uncomfortable. My stomach clenched uneasily and I felt myself forced to look away. I don't get why he has to keep doing that. Is it some silly human joke I'm not getting?

As we left the training hall, Kratos asked if I wanted to have a drink with him. It did sound nice, but I had to decline. I desperately needed a shower. On hindsight, I can't help but notice that the shower was awfully cold.

* * *

A faint smile appeared on his face as he read the last line. Then, he continued to flip the pages of the book. When he heard a stirring sound nearby, he froze for a few seconds. Then, all went still once more. He started to read;

* * *

Dear diary. 

The most unbelievable thing happened today. I can't help but think that it was a dream, yet I have not yet found myself waking up. Therefore, I can only conclude that it must have been real. Either that, or I'm finally going mad.

Striding through the halls of Welgaia, I suddenly found myself being pinned to the wall by Kratos. Before I'd completely processed what was going on, he had kissed me. On the lips. I can't quite remember, but I think I managed a faint spluttering sound when he broke off. Then, without saying a word, he released me and kept walking. There was nobody around to see it.

Another silly human joke? If so, humans are severely lacking in comedy. Doing something like that to one of your companions is horribly disturbing. Yet, what's even more disturbing is that I can't stop thinking about it.

* * *

At this, he started to grin widely. He remembered that day vividly. It had left quite an impact. Then he continued to an entry that was months, no perhaps a year later. It was also the most recent.

* * *

Dear diary. 

Kratos still hasn't stopped giving me those looks. It's getting extremely unnerving. Today, I caught him staring at my… lower back area as well. He is foolishly stubborn to continue that bland joke for so many years, but I've finally decided to cave. Tomorrow, I will approach him and tell him to stop that childish behaviour.

Still, whenever he's around, I get this strange feeling. It's a feeling somewhat similar to the one I had when Martel was near. Is it nostalgia? Does Kratos trigger memories of forgotten times? Forgotten love? I don't understand this at all.

* * *

A smirk still evident on his face, he turned to the next page, which was completely blank. For a moment, he thought deeply, trying to word this thoughts. Then, gripping a pen in his right hand, he put it to the paper and started to write;

* * *

Dear diary. 

The day seems like a complete haze. I think, maybe, I _have_ gone crazy. I must have, for the happiness I am feeling right now is something I haven't felt in decades. I mean that in the most literal sense possible.

As promised, I had talked to Kratos about his peculiar behaviour. At first, he pretended to know nothing about it, yet I persisted. Then, things spiralled out of control. It's still hard to believe what happened. All I know is that after the conversation, I suddenly found myself behind carried to my room.

As I am writing this, Kratos is in my bed, fast asleep. Never could I have imagined things would end up like this. All I can remember is that it was bliss. And I think… I think he said that he loves me. I told him the feeling is mutual, because I know now that it's true. It's foolish, really. He's a human, he's male, he's one of my oldest companions… And now I realize I love him.

It's best that Yggdrasill doesn't find out about this. He might just end up killing us both, despite Origin's seal. Still, it's none of his business anyway.

Now, I shall return to bed, for I am tired and still quite sore. I suppose that's the problem with male lovers…

* * *

After rereading the entry, he snapped the journal shut and put it back in the top drawer. Then, he stealthily returned to his bed, covering himself with the blankets. A pair of arms wrapped around him and a head came to rest on his chest. 

"Where did you go?" a slightly hoarse voice asked.

He smiled again, running a hand through locks of messy auburn hair. "Just catching up on some old memories."


	22. Taste The Rainbow

((A/N: Number 22, and it's the third request one-shot! This one is for Unknownseraphim, who wanted something with... Skittles. Well, once I started writing, it wasn't really that hard at all. So I hope you'll enjoy! Oh, and if you want a request as well, just let me know.))

* * *

Taste The Rainbow.

There was a rustling sound, similar to that of a bird making a landing. Yuan's feet touched the ground outside Sylvarant's Martel temple as he glanced around apprehensively. When he realized he was all alone, he allowed his wings to disappear and sat down on the steps, resting his head on his hand lazily. The sun was shining brightly and there were hardly any clouds in the sky.

It was such a nice day… Much too nice, considering what was going to happen. Today was the Day of Prophecy. A few hours from now, the Chosen would arrive here. She would receive her crystal, marking her a very doomed young lady.

"_Head for the temple and protect the Chosen One_." Yggdrasill had said. "_Make sure the Renegades don't disrupt the ritual_."

Yuan scowled. There was no way the Renegades could disrupt the ritual now. Not after the great _lord of Cruxis_ had assigned Kratos as his partner for this mission. Not that the human had gotten here yet. Though they'd agreed to meet up outside the temple two hours before the light of the Oracle would appear.

Damn guy was always late.

Not that he minded Kratos. Oh no. Quite the contrary. They were lovers. But that didn't mean Yuan couldn't complain about the man's attitude every now and then.

Reaching into his pocket, Yuan pulled out a small red plastic bag, filled with tasty, juicy little candies. Might as well eat something while waiting for the tardy bastard. Just as he upended the bag in the palm of his hand and popped the first candy (an orange one) into his mouth, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"What the hell are you eating?"

Yuan turned his head to see Kratos, arms crossed and wearing an expression that seemed to be a mixture between irritation and shock. The blue-haired seraph swallowed.

"Nice to see you too, Muffincakes."

"Answer the question," Kratos ordered, not in the least bit fazed by the use of such a horrendous nickname.

"Skittles," Yuan replied simply.

"You're eating _Skittles_?"

Yuan stayed silent for a moment, not quite seeing the man's point. Then he realized he was probably being rude and held out his hand. "… Want one?"

"No, I do not want a Skittle!" Kratos snapped.

"Then what's your problem? Jeez." Yuan turned his attention back to the candies in the palm of his hand, trying to decide which to eat next. He always saved the strawberry flavoured ones for last, but which ones to eat first remained a dilemma. He decided to go with a purple one.

"Yuan, why are you eating Skittles?" his old companion asked, exasperated.

"… Because they're good?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, still not seeing the problem.

Kratos slumped down next to him, propping his elbows up on his legs and resting his head on his hands with a moody expression. He flat out refused to look at the candy.

"Look, it's not like I question _your_ eating habits! With that stinking tuna of yours," Yuan spoke angrily.

"Don't you know what Skittles stand for?" Kratos hissed, still glaring into the distance.

"Fruity goodness?"

"Damn straight! _Fruity_!"

"… Huh?" Yuan tilted his head, severely confused now. What was wrong with fruit?

"Yuan, you idiot! Are you really that dense?" Kratos snatched the package from his companion's lap and held it up. "See that logo?"

"Uhm…"

"It's a rainbow! Hell, the slogan even says '_Taste the rainbow_'! Does that mean nothing to you?" Kratos snarled, dropping the package again.

Slowly, surely, it got through to Yuan's brain what the man meant. Skittles meant fruity and rainbow, which meant gay. Heck, it was like the candy was designed for gay, girly people like him!

"Ohhh…"

"Finally understood?" Kratos asked in a hiss, but didn't wait for an answer. "Good. Now get rid of those Skittles."

For a moment, Yuan was silent. Then, he closed his hand and held it his chest protectively. "No!"

"_Yuan_!"

"I don't care if Skittles are horribly gay! … And fruity! I'm keeping them!"

"How do you think that looks for a Seraph of Cruxis?" Kratos snapped impatiently.

"If you don't like gay and fruity, thinking it doesn't fit your wonderful image, then you can just leave me the hell alone!" Yuan shouted. "Because, like it or not, _I'm_ gay and fruity too!"

"… Yuan…"

The blue-haired seraph looked to the side angrily, scooting away from Kratos a bit. He was positively seething. "Just… don't talk to me right now. It seems I'm too _fruity_ for your liking."

A few minutes passed in silence, as Yuan continued to chew his favourite candy in irritation. Irritation that only got worse after he'd eaten the last one. So he merely sat, staring in the opposite direction of Kratos. Insulting Skittles was like insulting him.

"Yuan?"

Grudgingly, the seraph in question turned to face his companion, only to feel a hand on the back of his head as he was suddenly kissed deeply. Immediately feeling his anger vanish, Yuan moaned and leaned into the kiss, allowing Kratos' tongue to explore the inside of his mouth.

Well, okay, so maybe he wasn't _that_ much of a bastard…

When Kratos finally broke off, he was smiling widely. Almost mischievously. Yuan blinked, wondering what was on his mind. But then the auburn human opened his mouth to speak.

"I can taste the rainbow."


	23. Father's Day

((A/N: Aaand we've reached number 23, with no more requests. Come on people, just give me a random word or theme and I'll try to write about it!

This one... Well... The thought of this principle lingered in my head a long time, but I never quite knew how to write it. I think I managed it nicely in this one-shot, though. Heh, enjoy!))

* * *

Father's Day

The leaves muffled the sound of our footsteps as we made our way through Iselia forest. A small squirrel shot into the bushes when it saw us coming. It would take about another minute for us to reach our destination. Still, I nearly dreaded seeing that small cottage. For the first time in a long while, I was hesitant to see my son.

Today was father's day, a little over two years since the worlds were reunited. I hadn't seen Lloyd that often, but all our meetings had been pleasant and I'd started to believe that perhaps he'd finally forgiven me. Even though he'd told me so a few dozen times, I still refused to fully accept the fact.

Lloyd had invited me to his house to celebrate this holiday and I'd accepted out of courtesy. Then Yuan suggested something I knew had to happen sooner or later. Still, the many ways Lloyd could react to this made me wonder if perhaps 'later' was a better option than 'sooner'.

Finally, the simple wooden house came into view. Noishe was lying outside his stable, lazily basking in the sunlight. A small stream ran around the terrain, its water shimmering brightly. In a way, this place looked similar to the dwarf's house, but I knew it wasn't. This house lay more to the south, after all, and Anna's grave was absent.

I stopped walking, turning to my companion, who nearly bumped into me. As much as I tried to tell myself this question was to make sure he wouldn't regret his decision, I found that in a way I would be pleased if he decided to turn back.

"Are you certain this is what you want?"

Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Of course! You need to tell him eventually. Now come on."

The blue-haired seraph stepped towards the house again, but froze when he noticed I wasn't following. He turned, crossing his arms impatiently. "Not chickening out, are you?"

"I…"

My gaze strayed to the stream, suddenly very interested in watching the fish. Those looked like extremely healthy fish. What were they? Carps? Must be nice to have those outside your hose. I wonder if Lloyd catches them for dinner…

"Kratos…" Yuan sighed and I could sense him shaking his head. "I told you, the kid would be a hypocrite if he takes this badly. I mean, he's living with the _ex-chosen of Tethe'alla_, for heaven's sake!"

"I know that."

I'd only just started to build a friendly relationship with my son. I was afraid that anything could be seen the wrong way. Not sure how much Lloyd truly trusted me, I feared that even little things could cause the balance to shatter. But this… This was not a little thing. I myself wasn't ashamed of this, but I didn't want him to think badly of me.

Though these were all thoughts and worries I did not voice out loud.

"And if he _does_ take it the wrong way, I'm going to kick his idealistic ass," Yuan continued, not caring that I was still half in thought. "So if you don't come along _now_, I'll have to resort to my old methods."

"Old methods?" I enquired, looking up at him.

"I'll kidnap you, take you to Lloyd, drug his friends, say it myself and see what happens." Yuan shrugged, a sly smile on his face.

For a moment, I was a bit taken aback. Then I chuckled softly. Amazing how he could have that effect on me. For a long time, I'd speculated that perhaps my sense of humour had died a long time ago. "I hardly see the point of drugging his friends for this, but… Your mind does work in mysterious ways."

"Damn straight." Turning to the house once more, Yuan started walking again.

It was obvious he was dead set on getting this over with. Remembering his history with Lloyd, I realized that perhaps he was a braver man than myself. This was why I obediently followed him all the way to the front door. Noishe raised his head expectantly when he saw us arrive, yet appeared to be too lazy to get to his feet and actually _greet_ us.

"Well, here goes."

Yuan knocked curtly and I had a sudden, peculiar urge to run like hell. It was hurriedly suppressed, as I gave my companion a faint smile instead.

About fifteen seconds later, the door was opened to reveal Lloyd, who was bearing an excited expression as his gaze met my own.

"Dad! You made it! Zelos thought that maybe you weren't going to show," he said with a wide grin.

"Of course I would. I gave you my word, did I not?"

"Well, yeah, that's what I told him too." Lloyd rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

Right on cue, Zelos burst into the hallway as well, moving behind Lloyd and peering over his shoulder. "The old man has arrived! Now I owe Lloyd ten Gald…"

"Nice to see you too, Zelos…" I replied in a monotonous voice.

Lloyd glanced back and forth between us, before deciding to change the subject. "Well, happy father's day, dad! I visited other dad this morning, so we have the rest of the day to ourselves!"

I nodded to show I understood. The brunette had taken a liking to calling his dwarven father 'other dad', in hopes of avoiding confusion. At that moment, I sensed something move beside me and noticed that so far, nobody had commented on Yuan's presence. Lloyd, apparently, realized the same thing.

"Hey, uhm… Yuan? Why are you here? Did something happen?" the boy asked, looking a bit confused.

I cast a glance to my left to see that Yuan was in fact shooting me an expectant stare. When he understood I wasn't about to answer a question directed at him, he sighed.

"One might say that…"

"Well, what is it? Is it about the Kharlan tree? Because Colette said that it was doing just fine two weeks ago!" Lloyd said, his voice sounding a bit defensive. "And all the exspheres are gone now, right? You didn't find another one, did you?"

"Calm down. It's nothing like that."

"Then what?" the eternal swordsman was starting to look a bit nervous, probably wondering if perhaps Yuan had come to scold him about something.

Meanwhile, my gaze met Zelos' and I saw a faint grin slowly forming on his lips. Unlike Lloyd, who was as thick as a log, the ex-chosen was likely starting to suspect the inevitable. Yuan shot me one last impatient look that clearly said 'coward', before clearing his throat.

"Kratos and I are lovers."

The effect was instantaneous. A blank look washed over Lloyd's features, as behind him Zelos clasped a hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles, only to fail miserably. The red-head turned on the spot and dove into a nearby room, slamming the door shut behind him. This wasn't enough to muffle the maniacal laughter, sadly.

"Yuan…" I hissed.

"What? Too blunt? I didn't see _you_ jumping in to help." The seraph replied, raising an eyebrow.

Slightly irritated, I turned back to Lloyd. Slowly, the boy's expression turned from blank to confused. It was almost as if he was trying to decide something, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. It took about a minute before he finally spoke, a mild frown on his face.

"Does this mean I have _three_ dads?"


	24. Memento

((**A/N:** Oh my gosh, it's been aaaages. Uhm... Yes, I'm still alive. I just got the sudden strange urge tonight to write some K/Y, so... here you are. It's extremely short, I'm sorry. Better than nothing, though, right? Eheheheh...

* * *

Memento

It was a silent night, like many others before it. Yuan lay safely in his lover's embrace, glancing up at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come to him, not yet. Apparently, Kratos was still awake as well. His fingers slowly moved up and down the Renegade's body, caressing the bare skin. It was a peaceful night.

The mercenary's touch moved upwards, until it reached Yuan's hands and entwined with them. A smooth, metallic surface pressed against two fingers of his own. For the slightest fraction of a second, Kratos' breath halted upon realization of something he had overlooked all this time.

"…Why do you still wear it?"

"What?" Yuan blinked, shifting in Kratos' hold slightly to glance up at him. The mercenary stared back at him with blank ruby eyes.

"The ring is a sign of engagement. One that ended four-thousand years ago," he spoke simply. "So why…?"

Yuan smiled sadly, glancing down at the slim silver ring around his right index finger. The one thing that still tied him to Martel, after all these years. Even after he had found Kratos. "… It's a memento."

"I am not wearing a memento of Anna either. As long as you keep the memory in your heart, there should be no need for a reminder."

It was obvious Kratos was bothered by it. Well, that was only logical. Jealousy came in the strangest forms, and to him, the ring was just a reminder that he came second. No matter how much love Yuan pledged to him, he would always remain loyal to Martel. Such a thing… was just depressing.

"It's not a reminder, so much as a symbol," Yuan replied. "Martel was the first person I'd ever allowed to get close. She was the first I truly trusted. At the same time, she was a dear friend of yours as well. To take off this ring would be to betray her memory." He sighed, squeezing Kratos' hand mildly.

For a few minutes, there was silence. However, the night still hadn't returned to its previous state of calm. The doubt still remained.

"Will you keep a memento of my own, after I die?" Kratos finally questioned.

"… No."

"Why not?"

A smile dawned on Yuan's face. Then he rolled onto his side, wrapping an arm around his lover to pull the man closer. "Because you're not going to die. We'll be together forever."

Kratos chuckled, placing a kiss on the half-elf's forehead. "Is that so?"

"Yes." With a content sigh, Yuan nuzzled into the man's shoulder. "Who needs a memento, when you've got the real thing?"


	25. A New World

((**A/N:** Hi guys. It's me again. Uhm... Okay, so Tales of Symphonia; Knight of Ratatosk absorbed most of my free time this last month. I imported it, so... Yah. Logically, that means this one-shot is about said game. ... Sorta. More like, it's set end-first-game, but before KoR/DotNW. Which means miiiild spoilers for ToS 2, because it mentions Yuan's role in that game. His _crappy_ role, I might add. To me, personally, they ruined Yuan in ToS 2. But whatev. I'm not going to rant about it. Instead, enjoy this one-shot.))

* * *

A New World

It had taken a long time for Yuan to finally stop running. He fell to his knees, both hands placed in front of him to ensure he wouldn't lose his balance. A sharp pain prodded at his chest and his breath came in deep gasps. Whether it was due to the sudden exercise or not, he wasn't certain. He also wasn't sure why he'd ran _here_, of all places. Perhaps it was because this was the location where it all began. Similarly, it was the place where it all ended.

The Kharlan Tree, a lonely sapling, lay just before him.

After hearing Lloyd's words, running away was the only thing he could do. Running from the sheer magnitude of the situation. After all this time, all those years of companionship, he was completely and utterly alone. Without saying a word, his last true companion had left his side. Apparently, Yuan wasn't even worth one final farewell, and it hurt more than anything. Like his old friend had now done, he just wanted to run away from it all.

Only a week ago, he had watched Derris-Kharlan leave the planet's orbit, not knowing what it was taking with it.

Just like Martel, Mithos and everyone else Yuan had ever cared about, Kratos Aurion was gone. Presumably afraid to face the situation, the bastard had simply fled. Usually, Yuan would have screamed. Known for losing his temper easily, he would have cursed, or even tried to destroy something in utter rage. Though, right now, Yuan had lost the will to do anything of the sort. Getting angry had never done anything for him before, so why should it work now?

Without realizing it, his fingers dug deeply into the dirt, a lone tear falling from his eyes.

Even before Martel, there was Kratos. Despite the fact that they were enemies on the battlefield and, like all other Sylvarant soldiers, Yuan was treated with complete indifference by the man, he'd grown to enjoy the human's presence. Every single battle, he would search for the leader of Tethe'alla's knights and challenge him in person. Kratos was the first to treat Yuan not as a half-elf, but as a _person_. The swordsman was his first real companion and he was unique in this world. Like Martel, he gave Yuan hope. He'd hoped Kratos would finally realize in Torent forest. Realize what was there all that time.

He was willing to give his Mana, his own life, to save Kratos. In the end, he'd gotten nothing in return. Another tear fell and a sob escaped his lips.

He had no one to blame but himself. He'd crossed the line and chased the man off. In order to bring Martel her eternal rest, the Renegade leader had used every single dirty trick in the book. Blackmail, insults, death threats… He hadn't meant to hurt Kratos, because he knew the guy could handle it. After all, that man was the strongest person he had ever encountered in all those four-thousand years. Yuan could only look up to him and wish to one day have that kind of composure.

He was barely aware he was truly crying for the first time in decades. Emotions that had been building up for such a long time were finally breaking free.

He had lost everything. He was all alone.

A disturbance in the air, nearby. A rush of static. Then, a familiar voice reached Yuan's ears. "This is what's become of the leader of the Renegades after only one week?"

His emerald eyes snapped up to meet an unexpected sight. There, right beside the tiny Kharlan tree, was a transparent image of Kratos. His arms were crossed and a frown was set on his face. Slowly, tiredly, Yuan pushed himself to his feet, unable to meet the man's eyes. "I'm not the Renegade leader anymore. I'm nothing."

"Do you truly believe that, Yuan?"

"Of course. I _have_ nothing and I've _accomplished_ nothing," the half-elf spoke stubbornly, scrunching his eyes shut.

Even through the static, Kratos' sigh could be heard quite clearly. "In my eyes, you are one of the most accomplish individuals I have ever met."

"Oh, so that's why you ran out on the world? So you could dump it all on _my_ shoulders?" Yuan snarled viciously. In reflex, he ran the back of his hand across his face to dispose of any tear marks that were still left.

"Yuan…"

"What am I supposed to do now, huh?! You're off on your own little world, living the easy life! Meanwhile, I'm stuck down here! You think people are going to accept this new world? You think the Yggdrasill tree will immediately provide enough Mana for _everyone_ to prosper?" The half-elf's hands clenched into fists by his sides. All the frustration, dread and loneliness was eating away at him as he talked, his own words only intensifying their effect.

"That burden isn't for you to bear. Lloyd and his friends will play their part," Kratos reasoned calmly.

"Lloyd and his friends don't have to live forever! Fifty years from now, most of them will be dead! And to be perfectly honest, I _envy_ them for it!"

"You can't mean that."

Yuan's eyes snapped up to meet that face once more, almost daring him to laugh. "Then tell me, Kratos! Tell me what I still have left to live for!"

A silence followed. Silence that was only broken by the constant buzzing caused by such an unconventional means of communication. Kratos met his companion's gaze unblinkingly, though no words came.

"I'm all alone, now. I'd hoped that, once everything ended, we could rebuild this world together. But you ran out on me before I could-" Yuan broke off, turning his gaze away. He'd gotten so lost in his ranting, he hadn't realized just how much he said.

"Before you could… _what_?" Kratos enquired in a calm voice.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore," the half-elf replied coldly. There was no point in saying _anything_ to Kratos, now. Nothing would change. Why would he still bother?

"Yuan. You know just as well as I do that Derris-Kharlan will return to Aselia after a hundred years," the human spoke.

Of course, that much was a fact. Over four-thousand years ago, Derris-Kharlan visited this planet once every hundred years to grant it its blessing of Mana. Though a comet, it had a set cycle it would never stray from, even now that it had been freed from Aselia's orbit. However, a hundred years from now, that comet would come and it would go again. It would never stay. A fact that Yuan was just about to point out, before Kratos interrupted him.

"At that time, my work here will be completed. I plan to return to the surface, as Aselia will always be my home. I need to know for certain you will be there, waiting for me."

"You expect me to wait a _hundred_ years, just so I can give you a warm welcome?" Yuan snarled through gritted teeth. "I'll have _died_ of uselessness before that moment comes!"

Kratos closed his eyes for a moment, the half-elf's words having seemingly passed right through him. "Then, let us come to an agreement."

"An _agreement_?" Yuan spluttered, before shaking his head harshly. "Have you lost your mind completely?"

"Not at all," the other man replied. Even now, he was still as calm as ever. "When I return, a hundred years from now, I intend to spend the remainder of my life by your side."

Emerald eyes widened once more, as Yuan tried to fully comprehend what was just said. Did Kratos really mean…? No, that couldn't be. His question was answered for him, though.

"I will give you all my attention, all my care… All of it. But I need to be certain you will be there," the auburn-haired Seraph said firmly.

Yuan cast his gaze to the ground. A hundred years… In the life of a Seraph, it was nothing. But spending it all alone, just waiting for Kratos… It would be an eternity. "I can't promise you that."

"Because you feel your life has lost its purpose?"

"Hm."

Another nearly-inaudible sigh escaped Kratos' lips. "You are no ordinary person. You are, still, one of the Four Seraphim who watch over this world. Is that not enough?"

Yuan's face contorted for a split second. He couldn't watch over this entire world by himself. It was impossible. And it seemed that his old companion knew this as well.

"Aside from you, there are a few other guardians. If his Cruxis crystal allows it, Lloyd will still be there, a hundred years from now. The same goes for the two Chosen Ones. More importantly, though, you can count on the Goddess Martel."

"Martel?" Yuan repeated, somewhat blankly.

"The guardian spirit of the tree. Though without a physical presence, I am certain she will lend you her aid, if you watch over her in return." A faint, almost invisible smile tugged at Kratos' lips.

The half-elf's gaze fell on the small sapling before him. It looked horribly fragile, far from the tree it was supposed to become. Without a guardian to watch over it, it would be destroyed, taking the world itself with it. Like Ratatosk had failed before her, Martel would be powerless to protect the tree from Aselia's harshness .

"But… I thought Lloyd was supposed to keep an eye on the tree."

Kratos shook his head softly. "Like you, Lloyd cannot manage everything by himself. Which brings me back to our agreement. All I ask is that you keep watch over Lloyd and the Kharlan tree for a hundred years. In doing so, you will be keeping watch over the world itself."

Yuan was completely dumbstruck. It was so clear now, he was amazed he hadn't thought of it before. Of course, working together with Lloyd wasn't something he'd enjoy doing. Still, with the way that boy resembled his father, it would serve as a wonderful reminder of what Yuan was waiting for. His purpose…

He would protect the Yggdrasill tree, along with Lloyd.

"Alright." A smile appeared on Yuan's face. The first true smile since a long time. "But you'd better keep to your end of the bargain."

"I fully intend to."

A long, pleasant silence followed. Yuan felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest. Just a hundred more years and then he could retire. Then, he wouldn't be alone anymore. A hundred years of fulfilling his purpose, just as Kratos was fulfilling his own on Derris-Kharlan.

"How long will this communication line continue to exist, before the comet is out of range?" he finally questioned.

"About a year. Two, if we are lucky," Kratos said airily, before his eyes narrowed slightly. "Though I would prefer Lloyd didn't find out about this."

"... My lips are sealed."

* * *

((Bah... I can't help but feel this didn't round up properly.))


	26. Polar Opposites

((**A/N**: It still lives? Yes, it still lives. It's amazing how, even now, random people keep adding me or my fics to their alerts. It's not like I update that often. Or... update _well_, for that matter. But here's another quick one-shot for you all, so enjoy.))

* * *

Polar Opposites.

If there was one thing he was very much aware of, it's that he suffered from codependency. There wasn't a moment in his life he hadn't lived for the sake of someone else. Through the course of all those years, the role had shifted a few times. From working to please his parents to serving his beloved queen. From aiding his student's journey to serving his lord. Then, from caring for his beloved wife, he had once again returned to his master's side. Considering how long his life had been, that return was only the briefest of moments. Even so, it had marked him deeply. He knew it hadn't been the right thing to do, yet he'd had no one else to turn to. That was what he'd believed at the time, in any case.

-

Kratos sat on the steps outside Vinheim, head resting in his hand. Some of his muscles were still screaming in agony. Clothes covered his fresh injuries; scratches across his back, bite marks on his neck, bruises on his hips... He was sure that he was a pathetic sight, even if the angels didn't give him a second glance. Even if they were unaware of what went on inside the castle on occasions. Deep down, Kratos knew he'd fallen lower than he'd ever believed possible. It'd been a steady decline, of course, but one he'd been unable to stop.

Footsteps announced the arrival of the only person to actually pay notice to him. A low voice announced that someone did, indeed, think he was a pathetic sight. "Again?"

Hollow ruby eyes looked up to regard Yuan with a blank expression. There was nothing he could say. He had no reason to deny what had happened, or justify it. Kratos was very much aware of his codependency, yet so was his oldest companion. There was a time when Yuan would have tried to defend him. When he would have hidden him from Yggdrasill's wrath. Yet ever since Kratos had betrayed Cruxis to start a family, only to return with his tail between his legs, the half-elf abandoned all hope for change and had seemingly grown to despise him.

"You really are Yggdrasill's loyal dog," Yuan spat, before continuing on his way without looking back.

More than anything, Kratos wanted this to end. He didn't want to have to rely on someone else, bending to their every will just so he could have a purpose to live. It was in his nature, though, and there was nothing he could do about it.

---

If there was one thing he was very much aware of, it's that he was unable to fully place his trust in anyone. He'd lived his life, pushing everyone away and refusing to admit that he needed their company. There was an exception, of course. He was young, foolish, and he'd fallen in love. She was special and the sole person he'd ever grown attached to. She'd died, taking a piece of his heart with her and since then he'd decided never to get close to anyone again. The pain wasn't worth it. He'd spent the next four-thousand years all alone, despite a few people's efforts to change him. Even if he did accept someone, they'd just end up leaving him again. That was what he'd believed at the time, in any case.

-

Yuan leaned against the door, breathing heavily. The back of his head rested against the hard wood, supporting virtually his entire weight. It'd been three years, yet the pain was still just as fresh as the day she passed away. Today was her birthday. She would've turned twenty-four years old. If she were still alive, they would've been married by now. They'd be living happily in the peaceful world they'd fought so hard to create. Yet she was dead, her body already wasting away beneath the soil while her soul remained trapped in her Cruxis Crystal. It hurt him just to think about it.

There was a curt knock, startling Yuan out of his thoughts. A familiar voice spoke from the other side of the door, sounding almost worried. "Yuan. Are you alright? You seemed... distraught today."

Hollow emerald eyes closed for a moment, before looking back up at the ceiling. Why would Kratos even care? Mithos must've sent him. He wouldn't stand for that. There was a time Yuan would have accepted his companion's aid. When he would have told him about his doubts, or how much turmoil he was experiencing. Not anymore. He'd take the stress as usual, pretending he wasn't about to break under all the weight. "I'm fine."

"... If you're certain," Kratos spoke, immediately followed by the sound of retreating footsteps.

More than anything, Yuan wanted it to end. To rely on someone and trust them unconditionally, share with them his feelings and innermost thoughts so that he did not have to suffer by himself. This could never happen, for it simply wasn't in his nature.

---

Fingers entwined with fingers and one of the two shifted restlessly. There was a rustle of blankets and an almost inaudible moan before the silence returned completely. This seemed to be the perfect match. They were polar opposites, yet their natures complemented each other like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Yuan knew he could trust the other and rely on him, because Kratos would never die. Kratos knew he could trust the other and rely on him, because Yuan wouldn't take advantage of him. Even so, this kind of bliss wouldn't last.

-

Sharp gasps, pleasure-filled moans and even the occasional cry of pain drifted through the bedroom in Triet base. This moment of passion would be confined to them and only them. It was shortly after the two worlds were finally reunited. Not even a day. At last they were free from Cruxis' hold and the future was theirs for the taking.

One particularly desperate choking sound, immediately followed by nails digging into his back, caused Yuan to pause his actions. He glanced down at his lover, gaze filled with worry. Even so, the other hastily avoided his gaze, pretending nothing had happened.

"... You trust me, don't you?" Yuan asked, leaning forward to nip at Kratos' collarbone. Meanwhile, his hands continued to massage the man's hips, gently caressing his skin in hopes of making up for the pain he'd accidentally caused.

Kratos couldn't help himself, he automatically leaned into the touch. Yuan had the ability to play him like a puppet and in a situation like this, he was only happy to submit. "Of course."

"Then you'll tell me when I'm hurting you."

"Heh. Only if you do the same."

More than anything, they wanted to change their natures for each other. However, even if it were possible to change after four-thousand years, they couldn't. No matter how perfect the situation, they both knew they'd be seperated again. Derris-Kharlan would leave Aselia's orbit and Kratos would accompany it, while Yuan stayed behind to keep watch over the new World Tree. They'd both accepted the other's decision, though with extreme reluctance. It took them an eternity to find each other, yet circumstances ensured they couldn't be happy together.

Both had their own world to look after, now.

* * *

(( Please review. _Please_. It's not that much trouble at all. Adding me to your Story Alert or whatever is only half the time, so why not just leave a quick note?))


End file.
